Less than a Month's Worth
by Aranea Porcus
Summary: A compilation of around (or more than) 30 short stories concerning the pairing Dr Thunderland Jr X Zazie. May have some soft nsfw. No actual sex though, so don't worry. My writing quality may fluctuate.
1. Holding Hands

**A/N: I'm back...? Haha it just occurred that I haven't updated in around a year. Anyway, the following will apply to all chapters:**

**This thread of short stories is basically me doing the 30-Day OTP Challenge with a few themes being skipped, probably because I don't know how to do them (Cosplaying, etc). The short stories after ****Ch 1-5**** won't be in any chronological order, except for a few other connecter chapters. Also I may switch the order of themes around, because those are linked. And: some chapters may be nsfw, but I'll tell you beforehand.**

**I don't own the manga/anime.**

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Holding Hands

The door to Thunderland Jr's laboratory burst open with a metallic 'clank'. The Doctor growled in irritation at the brazen interruption, looking away from his work to meet two small figures.

"Doctor! I-it's Zazie! He's badly hurt, a-and – " That was all the silver-haired boy, Lag, managed to splutter before his purple-amber eyes overflowed with tears. He nearly dropped the seemingly lifeless body he was holding, and his dingo, Niche, a blue-eyed child who used her blonde hair as twin swords, had to prop the body up. Steak, a white rodent-like creature perpetually perched on her head fell off as a result.

"He got into a fight with a gaichuu, a-and– "The boy managed to spit out in between bouts of sobs.

Dr Thunderland Jr growled once more in annoyance, and gruffly snatched the body from the boy's arms. "Now leave. You're disturbing me." He turned his back to the two, the ends of his lab coat billowing out like a curtain. That billowing of the coat was a skill many envied, and one the Doctor secretly took time out of his schedule to master.

The Doctor carried the unconscious boy to a surgical bed where he plugged him to a Heart Meter, a device which measured how much 'spirit' one had left. The reading was dangerously low. Thunderland stood over him, undressing him, and couldn't help but notice his tousled black hair, his dirt-stained cheeks, and how his body was riddled with scars, cuts and bruises from this encounter and the others that came before. _You're a bloody reckless fool, you are, _Thunderland mentally chided the boy as he 'appraised' his body.

The Doctor couldn't help but feel remotely uncomfortable as he tossed the boy's trousers on the floor, leaving him in only his undergarments. The boy shivered at the sterile cold, and groaned softly in subconscious discomfort, A stray thought passed in the Doctor's head, and he snapped at himself in disgust, shaking the dirty thought from his mind.

The Doctor moved to the boy's side, and silently reached out his hand – _Just this once,_ he thought, and besides, he was alone – and took the hand of the boy. He briefly ran a rough, gloved thumb over the smooth palm, wondering how the boy's hand could stay so smooth throughout all these years of fighting and shooting, not to mention the climbing, trekking and everything in between. His hand felt pleasantly cool, and the Doctor smiled absent-mindedly, almost lovingly, if his limited range of facial expressions allowed him to do so.

However the boy flinched instinctively almost as soon as the Doctor's hand rubbed against his, and his eyebrows furrowed, as if the hand were just another metal insect trying to eat his soul, to take his life and to do to him what another had done to his parents. The Doctor let go, feeling a small pang of hurt cross his heart.

He strode over to a counter, his breathing, the clatter of his heels and the soft whirr of the Heart Meter the only sounds in the lab. The Doctor put on a pair of disposable gloves, and stubbed out the sharp pain in his chest. It was time to get to work.


	2. Cuddling Somewhere

Cuddling Somewhere

Visiting Dr Thunderland's lab was a habit for Zazie, a habit which worsened as time went by. After every delivery, he made it a point to let himself into the laboratory, toss his cap and messenger bag aside, and hand whatever travelling souvenir to the Doctor, who usually just grunted, and motioned to Zazie to leave it aside, his eyes – or eye – never leaving his work. Sometimes Zazie wondered how he got enough sleep, but somehow all he needed was a thick coffee, poured into the mug Zazie had gotten him from a town in Yuusari.

When Zazie had first started dropping by, Dr Thunderland had threatened to dissect him, not wanting to risk contamination in his lab. But over time, Zazie's visits began to serve as a refreshing break from Thunderland's daily grind, and he began to treasure them more and more as the days went by. Therefore he let it slide – just as long as Zazie didn't touch any of his samples.

On one particular day the Doctor had seemed to be in a much better mood than usual, and had even smiled at Zazie in greeting.

"Oi Doc, what's with the smiles? You won the lottery or somethin'?"

"Hardly. I've found a breakthrough – come, I'll show you." The Doctor motioned to a chair for Zazie to sit on, and drew another one right beside him. In front of them stood a microscope, and strewn beside it were notebooks full of recordings and observations. Thunderland hastily swept them aside.

"Look into the microscope. Do you see anything moving?"

Zazie peered in to the foreign piece of machinery. All he saw was white, and the occasional bubble or two, "Nope." Zazie began to fiddle with the knobs at the side, making the image zoom in and out, focus and refocus.

"Oi! Don't touch– gimmie that!" Thunderland rolled up his sleeves and pulled the microscope over to his side roughly – Zazie was sure you weren't supposed to do that – and turned the knobs and switched the lenses until he could get a better view.

Zazie watched him work, in that rough, yet mechanical way of his, and wondered how all this delicate machinery could withstand his movements. It intrigued him to see the bigger man working, grunting softly as he adjusted the microscope, his wrists turning, his arm muscles contracting and relaxing slightly – did he work out?

"Here, I've got it."

Zazie reached to pull the microscope over to his side, but was told rather grumpily by the taller man to sit over at his side, and not to touch _anything_. Zazie peered into the microscope once again and saw many small somethings engulfing many bigger somethings, over and over.

"Th' heck is this?"

"This is a species of bacteria I've specially developed in order to deter and eventually destroy a virus…" The Doctor excitedly began a medicine-related lecture, one that Zazie was not keen to listen to. Instead he continued to look at the little somethings in the microscope.

"Are you even listening?" Zazie looked up at the man standing above him, and felt his heart go thump when he spotted the Doctor's crooked yet handsome smile, accompanied by an arch of his eyebrows. Zazie shrugged and averted his gaze, looking down at his lap. The Doctor sat beside Zazie, and pulled him into an impromptu half-hug.

Zazie sat awkwardly, feeling very small and very out of place. He could smell the Doctor's scent and the faint trace of antiseptic and soap on his coat. Had the Doctor always smelled this nice? Zazie wasn't sure if 'nice' was the right word to describe it, but his mind was blank and he couldn't think of any other word at that moment. He felt the Doctor squeeze his shoulder, and without looking (or thinking), Zazie snaked his arm around the Doctor's back, and tugged on his coat, secretly hoping that the other would pull him close and hug him tightly, though he knew that that would be impossible.

And just like that, they both quietly basked in each other's presence, neither one pulling away, and neither one drawing the other any closer.

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**I'm not good at endings...**


	3. Movie

Gaming/**Movie**.

The makeshift theater was shrouded in darkness, and occasionally a cough or sniffle was heard in between the movie dialogue. Zazie and Dr Thunderland Jr huddled at the back of the room, watching yet another rerun of one of the only films available.

A while back, the Director, Largo Lloyd, bought a newly-invented projection system, and declared a monthly 'Movie Night', where people would bring films if they could afford to buy them, sit down, and watched. The films were blurry and drained of colour, but beggars couldn't be choosers. The constant reruns weren't very popular with the employees, including Zazie and Thunderland. They still came anyway, for one sole reason, one which they would never dare to admit.

"Damn, they keep showing the same half-assed shows," Zazie swore under his breath, and the Doctor replied with a soft laugh. "You've just got to deal with it."

"Why the hell did I come here in the first place?" Zazie began to sulk and the Doctor rolled his eyes, fixing his gaze on the screen and leaning back against the wall. "At least you have me," he spoke softly, eyes not turning away from the screen. Zazie turned abruptly to face the Doctor in disbelief. The white light reflected off the projection screen and shone on Thunderland's hair. It was such a pretty silver, and in the harsh lighting it seemed almost white. His skin was pale, almost as pale as Lag's, and definitely whiter than Zazie's. was Thunderland an Albisian like Lag?

The light did nothing to hide the Doctor's chiseled features, nor the small scars under his left eye. His eyepatch over his right eye and his earrings only added to his rugged appearance. Zazie wondered how someone who handled corpses could be so good looking, and then thought about what the story behind the Doctor's right eye was. It seemed a whole lot more interesting than the movie.

The Doctor blinked once and caught Zazie staring, wonder reflecting off his black eyes. Thunderland gave a joking sneer and looked back at the screen, leaving Zazie caught off-guard. "Just kidding."

"Shut up."

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**Short chapter is short.**


	4. On a Date

**There were a couple o' mistakes in the previous chapter, that ****Briixzyanaa ****had kindly pointed out. Thanks! Hopefully they're alright now. **

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On a Date

"So are ya coming or what?" Zazie asked impatiently, leaning against the door frame of Dr. Thunderland Jr's apartment.

"You're seriously asking me to go grocery shopping with you? Do it yourself, lazy runt."

Zazie rolled his eyes at the insult. "I ain't short – just haven't hit a growth spurt yet. And it's not for me, it's for Sylvette." Sylvette was Lag's friend and roommate, who had an elder brother, Gauche, a good friend of Thunderland's. Zazie began to imitate Sylvette's voice, " 'Oh Zazie, you're done with your deliveries right? Help me pick these up…' Empress! I bet these are just used to make that crappy excuse for soup! Wheelchair Master my ass… so, are you coming or not?"

"Lazy brat… Fine, but don't expect me to pay." Thunderland fetched his keys and stepped out, in his usual vest and shirt, and a trash bag just in case he found any dead animals along the way.

They walked down the cobblestone streets to the marketplace, one leading the other. Yuusari's perpetual darkness was illuminated by the several oil lamps that stood solemnly by the roadside. The large façade of the Beehive and the tempting smell coming from Sinner's Bread and Gun Shop passed by as they made their way through town. They were walking by other smaller roadside stalls and shops, when Thunderland suddenly stopped to say, "Eh, I was wondering, why don't we walk around for a bit before we get your stuff?" He thought Zazie was going to refuse, but all he got in return was a nod and a shrug. Funny, their grocery shopping was turning out to be just like a… _Nah_.

They weaved their way through the several roadside stalls, an array of both exotic and familiar smells, colourful trinkets, (fake) gold-plated ornaments and bargaining voices overwhelming their senses. It wasn't long before Zazie spotted an intricately carved porcelain cat figurine placed on a shelf. It was painted a calm navy blue, but its eyes were a stunning electric blue. Zazie stopped walking and picked it up gently. "Looks like Wasiolka," he mused. Wasiolka was his dingo, a large female puma with the same fur and eye colour as the figurine. In fact, the only difference between the figurine and Wasiolka were the tufts of fur Wasiolka had as her mane. Thunderland watched as Zazie studied the cat figure, and asked the shop owner, a lady in her mid-forties, how much it was.

"1000 Rin," she replied, eyeing Thunderland suspiciously. That was expected – Thunderland was 28, and Zazie 15 (he still looked several years younger) and they bore nearly no resemblances to each other. Thunderland pretended not to care, and drew out the bills from his wallet, much to Zazie's displeasure. It was only after they had paid and walked off when Zazie began to protest.

"You didn't have to pay for me, ya know? I ain't broke!" Zazie snarled. The Doctor sighed, annoyed by Zazie's stubbornness. "It doesn't matter, does it? You wanted it anyway. Just consider this as an early birthday present or something. There's no need to pay me back."

"Right, sure, whatever, you old geezer." Zazie's ears began to grow red, and he stormed on ahead by himself. The Doctor smiled. His mind began to wander. What if Zazie felt the same as he? Then again, he was the type to blush at every compliment bestowed upon him, and it was impossible for Thunderland to worm his way into Zazie's head like that. He felt quite helpless. Zazie gave a momentary glance backwards to make sure that Thunderland was still there, and the Doctor began to feel breathless as their eyes grazed each other's for a few split seconds. He felt his heart beginning to ram against his chest.

What Thunderland felt was embarrassing as hell, and he quickly grew irritated at the part of him that liked Zazie, and he wanted for it to stop, to go away, so that he would then see Zazie as nothing more than a friend or colleague, not as someone who could make him feel the thrilling rush of adrenaline coursing through his body just by letting their eyes meet, and _definitely_ not as someone he could _**love**__. Anything but that, _the Doctor pleaded silently. If there was a cure or a medicine for such things, he would have used, it, no matter how unpleasant it was for him to deny himself like that.

Thunderland scoffed and kicked an empty glass bottle out of his way as he ambled on, and concentrated on the bottle's dull tinkling as it rolled to the side and hit a lamp post. For a while, he looked at it lying there pitifully, then shook his head and moved on.

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**Not sure if this counts as a date, but whatever.**

**TBC in the next chapter... Hohoho~**


	5. Kissing

**Continued from the previous chapter~**

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Kissing

Thunderland Jr and Zazie both walked on, the small porcelain cat safe in Zazie's messenger bag. Thunderland tried to ease the surrounding tension (now where did _that _come from?) and broke the silence.

"I'm hungry."

"We're going to a market, I'm sure they sell some pizza there."

"I believe those things are detrimental to one's health."

Zazie chuckled, and turned to look at him. "Ha! Try saying that to Connor. He'll flip shit." Connor was a round, dark-haired teenager around the same age as Zazie, though he was taller than him. His eyes were nearly hidden by his plump cheeks, and he had a love for food, especially pizza, and a secret liking for adult magazines. And cute girls. Don't forget the cute girls.

"Right," Thunderland had caught up to Zazie's side, and walked beside him. They stopped talking, and Thunderland's gaze fell on a couple taking wedding pictures beside a marble fountain. How unusual – people would often take such photos in a photo studio, and not in public. Seeing them in their stainless black tuxedo and elaborate white gown somehow made Thunderland wonder, was same-sex marriage allowed in Amberground? _Probably not._ How did that concern him, anyway? Thunderland gritted his teeth. These thoughts were getting more and more troublesome by the minute, and sooner or later he would be weakened by all of _this, _and would be too worn-out to resist. Ah, only if it weren't for–

"Reminiscing over old flames, eh?" Zazie was heading towards him, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "You stopped walking, old man." _He had?_ Thunderland hadn't noticed.

"What are you saying? I've never been in a relationship before," Thunderland shrugged with a sheepish smile. Zazie hadn't seen that one before.

"Woah, really? Not even once? You sure?" Zazie felt oddly relieved, but also found that hard to believe. Surely with his more-than-decent looks, he would have at least been able to get together with a girl before? Even Lag was better at him than this, and that was really saying something, because Lag, Lag Seeing, the (in)famous crybaby, had two girls crushing on him. In theory, at least.

" 'Course. Besides, who in their right mind would fall for me, the Corpse Doctor? Most of them are afraid of me – not that I blame them, or maybe I do, but anyway – I've only got one eye, which doesn't help," he laughed nervously. Such names were inevitable for him, since he did deal with death, or at least, ways to prevent it. But the people were unappreciative of his work, and to him, they were no better than any one of the organisms he had used. "We're blocking up the road, let's move." Thunderland began to walk into an alleyway beneath an overpass, wanting to cross over to another street, with Zazie following him, not wanting to let the matter rest.

"I'm not afraid."

"You were – before. It's not like you hadn't called me _that_ before, either."

"Not anymore, right?"

"Look, Zazie, why are–"

"Listen, Thunderland!" The Doctor halted in his speech, shocked that Zazie had said his name. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened.

"Here, I ain't... I'm not afraid anymore." Zazie hesitated, and continued, his mind blank and his words tumbling out of his mouth carelessly. "And the reason for that is... is..."

"Is what?!" The Doctor snarled, growing impatient. An unpleasant feeling had risen in his throat, but simmered as soon as he saw Zazie flinch. A stinging guilt hit him, and he leaned back against the wall. "Sorry," he muttered. "Go on."

Zazie stared at him for a bit and took a deep breath, a rapid pounding in his ears. "Promise you won't hate me after what I do?"

"I won't."

"Don't. Close your eyes for me, will ya?" Thunderland did as he was told, puzzled as he was. How was this an explanation? Bullshit.

The Doctor could hear Zazie's light footsteps as he cautiously approached him, and began to feel strangely apprehensive. _Why, though? _Thunderland held his breath in anticipation for whatever was about to happen and kept his eyes shut. He heard the quiet scraping of shoes against cobblestone ground and felt a weight pressed on his body, and a soft warmth on his lips. Thunderland was perplexed. _The hell was that?_

Then everything clicked together and the sudden realization of what was going on quickly flooded Thunderland's mind. His eyes flitted open to see Zazie on his tiptoes, leaning against him, and kissing him with his eyes shut. _Kissing him_. _Zazie. Kissed. __**Him**_**. **This was wrong. Guys weren't supposed to kiss! Thunderland roughly shoved Zazie away, causing the latter to stumble and catch his balance before he could fall. They both stared each other, speechless.

Zazie felt like he had been betrayed, although the circumstances were so warped that he didn't even deserve to feel this way. What chance did he have that Thunderland would reciprocate his advances anyway? Damn feelings. Dejectedly glaring at the Doctor, Zazie straightened himself up, and muttered, "Knew it," before he took a few steps back and began to run out onto the road.

Thunderland felt tremendously conflicted. Wasn't this exactly what he had dreamed of countless times? And yet, he wasn't sure if he was ready to dive head-first into it. The subject of homosexuality was considered taboo in Amberground, and the act of it was even more so. He was a well-known doctor, even if he was _notoriously_ well-known – who knew what would happen to his (and Zazie's) reputations in and out of the Hive if word got out that he and Zazie liked each other? But even so, as Zazie turned his back to run, the Doctor took a huge gamble and grabbed hold of his arm, pulled him back into an enveloping hug, stooped down to his level and rashly kissed him back, cradling his head. A sense of fulfilment and relief washed over him, and after a bit he slowly opened his eyes, his lips leaving Zazie's.

Seconds passed like hours for Zazie, and after they broke the kiss his uncertain eyes opened to see that of the Doctor's, and he exhaled the breath he didn't know he was holding. "So, this means…"

"This means we just got ourselves into a whole load of shit, no thanks to you." Thunderland flashed a smile, and helped Zazie up. Zazie began to laugh, a sweet, melodic laugh that the Doctor loved to hear, and took his hand and squeezed it lightly, all previous negative thoughts banished from his mind.

"Yeah, 'like you too, old man."

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**This has got to be the longest chapter so far. Hopefully there aren't any mistakes in this one!**


	6. Wearing Each Other's Clothes

Wearing Each Other's Clothes

"Doc, lend it to me."

"For the love of–"

"Please?"

"Just... tell me why again."

Zazie sighed in exasperation. Thunderland really was stingy when it came to clothing, and it wasn't even as if Zazie was asking to borrow his undies or anything of that sort.

"Lag signed us up for some stupid ass play today, being the stupid ass that he is, and now I'm playing some stupid ass professor in some stupid ass town, and the thing is I need your coat, because I. Don't. Have. One." Zazie glared daggers at the Doctor, who was still bent over his table, carrying out some paperwork. Zazie swore he could see the trace of a smile on the Doctor's features.

"Fine. Just don't get blood on it."

"Wow, that coming from someone who works with dead things–"

"Just go! You're going to be late, and Connor's outside with his cart!" Thunderland leaned back into his chair, and watched in amusement as Zazie rolled his eyes, got the coat and left Thunderland's apartment, Wasiolka following closely behind. Then he let out a chuckle, and continued on his work. It had already been a few weeks since _the thing_ (that was what Zazie had insisted on calling it) had occurred, and the both of them were close enough to sleep over at each other's places from time to time. All of a sudden Thunderland remembered that Zazie had left a set of uniform with him. He had forgotten to give them back…

The Doctor raised his head and thought up an idea as a devious grin played on his features. Wasn't it fair that he got his turn since Zazie had taken his coat? (Which was very important to him, buy the way). _Later,_ he told himself, as he returned to his work. _After this._

"Hey Connor, just drop me off at Thunderland's place." Zazie sat at the back of Connor's horse-driven delivery cart, still in the Doctor's coat, with Wasiolka contentedly lying across his lap, purring. An ear flicked lazily as she relaxed to Zazie stroking her fur.

The play had gone relatively well, if you counted out the fact that Niche went apeshit halfway into the show and began slicing the props with her hair just because an actor kissed Lag – it was all part of the play – which caused Lag to start yelling at her to quit it, and then she jumped on him, and… Zazie rubbed his temples. Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

"Sure. Hey, you've been spending an awful load of time at the Corpse Doctor's place, huh? You guys going out or something? Congrats on the sex, man," Connor joked, throwing a backward glance at Zazie.

"The hell?! You wish! I'm borrowing his coat, remember?" Zazie leaned forward to flick the back of Connor's head, which caused Wasiolka to be squashed between his body for a few seconds. She growled in discomfort, and Zazie petted her again as an apology.

"I'm only kidding! Don't disturb the driver. Hey, we're here." Connor made a turn into a small street, and arrived in front of a rather old two-level apartment. The blue paint was greying and peeling off, and the railings on the steps leading to the door were in need of repair, but to Zazie the building was like a second home. He jumped off, Wasiolka following him, and bade Connor goodbye.

Zazie stepped into the apartment (Thunderland had given him a nifty set of keys) and called out, "I'm back! You want your coat or what?" Scuffling sounds came from upstairs. Zazie rolled his eyes and made his way up, following the scuffling noises and soft curses to a room. "Yo! I'm home!" Zazie swung open the door, and saw Thunderland trying to get out of – was that a Bee uniform? Wait, wasn't that _his _uniform? Zazie stared, bewildered, unsure of what to do or say. Thunderland hopped around awkwardly, still trying desperately to get his lanky legs out of Zazie's smaller trousers. The jacket was strewn on the bed, and it looked as if it hadn't been ironed in years.

"Um... hi?' The Doctor grinned, and finally succeeded in getting out of Zazie's uniform. He stumbled, caught his balance, and stood there in only his shirt and _baby blue_ boxers. Zazie snickered and the Doctor flushed.

"I... You know what, that never happened. I never saw any of that." Zazie slammed the door shut and ran downstairs two steps at a time, shoulders shaking in silent laughter.

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**So in this chapter, Thunderland is being a complete idiot. Is there anyone besides me feeling the second-hand embarrassment?**

**Also, I may draw a book cover for this thing, but I may not finish it because I'm lazy. :P**


	7. Shopping

Shopping

"Hey, are you free now? Let's go out," Thunderland asked bluntly, his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants. He'd gone to Zazie's apartment building and had spotted him sitting outside on a flight of stairs, feeding a stray cat and her many kittens.

"What? Now? Right now?" Zazie tilted his head to look at the Doctor, as he cradled a ginger-and-white kitten in his arms while it nuzzled his sweater. "Hold on then – I have to go now, don't run into any trouble," Zazie spoke to the kitten, and put it down gingerly before taking the remainders of the cat food and stepping back into the building. Thunderland thought that it would have taken a lot more than that to tear him away from his cats.

The Doctor squatted in front of the stray cat and tried to pet her, but she only hissed at him bitterly and ran, her little kittens trailing after her unsteadily, leaving Thunderland feeling like a bit of an outcast. 'Guess she didn't like his scent.

It wasn't long before Zazie returned outside, and asked eagerly, "Where're we goin'? I brought cash just in case, so..."

"I need to get new gloves. Burned mine a while ago." Thunderland stood up, face expressionless, and he pit his hands back into his pockets.

"Let's go, then," Zazie pulled on Thunderland's sleeve, and Thunderland pulled him to the direction of the marketplace.

The market was crowded as usual, and an array of goods, both authentic and counterfeit, spread out before them like the tail feathers of a peacock. "Where do you find gloves here?" Zazie asked. All he could spot were hideous gaudy clothes priced at ridiculously high costs.

"C'mere," Thunderland led him to a small corner stall. Zazie didn't know what to think of it – it seemed that gloves and mittens were the only things that it had for sale. _Of all things, why gloves?_ Zazie found it all very amusing, especially the balding man arranging woollen mittens with his back turned to the counter.

"Hey, boss!" The balding man turned at the sound of Thunderland's voice with a smile, and answered, "Thunderland! What can I do for you?" The man spotted Zazie and grinned, a twinkle in his eye. "'Ello, kid. Hey, Thunderland, is he your son?" Zazie choked on his spit and coughed violently, staring up at the man in disbelief. He didn't look _that _young!

"No, no, he's just a friend. A colleague," Thunderland's voice was firm. "I need another pair of gloves. Burned one the other day."

"Man, you gotta take more care of my stuff!" The man turned to fetch Thunderland a pair of black gloves. "These are new ones. Heat-resistant too. They're just what you need, and just because it's you, I'm giving you a discount. How's 450 Rin sound?"

"Expensive as hell."

"They're good quality..."

The Doctor grunted, fished out his money and took the gloves, then waved goodbye as he turned to leave. Before Zazie could follow him, the man leant down and whispered with a chuckle, "Drink more milk, eh?"

"I ain't short!" Zazie shouted in protest and ran after the Doctor, only to find him checking the price tag of a foolish-looking hat.

"Are you seriously going to get that?"

Thunderland stood up in surprise, and sighed, "Yeah, there's no problem right? It's only 150 Rin though. Probably made of some cheap material or something..." But still, the Doctor seemed to take interest in the hat, so Zazie relented, and removed the hat from the rack, and called for the shop owner. "I'll take this," Zazie said, and blotted out the Doctor's amused smile from his vision. He paid and left, tossing the stupid hat to the Doctor.

"I have money, you know," Thunderland spoke, his eyes twinkling with a smile.

"I know. Just take it as an early birthday present. _Or something_." Zazie shrugged, and watched as the Doctor put it on.

"How's it?" He joked. Zazie rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"You old people have the worst tastes, I swear."

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**This one was written at like 2am so I'm sleepy and asdfghjkl yeah its not really fgood**


	8. Hanging Out with Friends

Hanging Out with Friends

"Where're you going?" Thunderland asked, reclining on Zazie's bed as he watched him gather his bag and several items around the room. The bedroom – as was the rest of the house – was a mess, which irked him, but then again Zazie was never as neat and orderly as the Doctor.

"Lag and Connor are asking me to eat dinner with them at some pizza place," Zazie answered, rummaging for something at the bottom of a closet. He found his shindanjuu and stuffed it into his bag.

"You're bringing it along?" Thunderland asked, eyeing the gun. Zazie's shindanjuu was of a silver colour, and the spirit amber embedded into the grooves on the gun was a dark blue. Inside was an insect no bigger than a wasp.

"One can never be too prepared," Zazie huffed, and was about to step out of his room when Thunderland asked, "Can I come with you?"

"Why?"

"I have nothing to do, and I'll be bored alone..." Zazie pondered for a bit, then answered, "Fine. Just don't do anything stupid. Let's go."

They took a tram to the pizza diner, and when they arrived the other two were already waiting.

"Zazie, what took you so long?" Connor whined. "Gus is hungry!" Gus was a pale yellow dog that served as Connor's dingo. It lay on the ground and yawned, its eyes hidden behind layers of loose skin and fat, seemingly indifferent to Connor's protests.

"Niche is hungry too," Niche spoke, holding Steak by the tail. It squealed in fear. "Niche was going to cook Steak."

"Yeah, yeah. We had a long wait for the tram."

"Ah, Dr. Thunderland Jr! I didn't know you were coming! Hello!" Lag greeted him, a smile on his face. The Doctor fidgeted awkwardly, and began to regret joining them.

"Why's he here?" Connor hissed at Zazie. "I thought you didn't like him."

"He wanted to come," Zazie hissed back. "So I let him."

"This is a bit suspicious."

"What's so damn suspicious?"

"You're around him a lot. Don't tell me..."

"What?!"

"You guys are actually friends?"

"No! Wait, what? No, I mean–"

"It's okay to make new friends, Zazie. We, as your _best _friends, support you all the way."

"Guys..." Lag said half-heartedly. No one paid him any attention.

"Don't mock me, fatass. You got a problem with him being here?"

"Ah ha!"

It was then when the both of them felt a hard blow smack the back of their heads. They yelled in surprise, and turned to find that Niche had used her "No Hurting Anyone Chop" on them. She tugged on Lag's sleeve and he spoke timidly, "He left. You were talking too loud..."

Zazie looked, and saw that Thunderland had indeed disappeared silently into the unfeeling throng of crowds nearby. He looked harder, and thought he spotted a white coat weaving among the people, like the pristine sail of a ship in between jagged rocks, but as soon as Zazie blinked, that had disappeared from view as well.

* * *

**They don't have many mutual friends, do they...**


	9. With Animal Ears

With Animal Ears

It was nearing Christmas, and all the Bees were required to wear reindeer ears and horns while they went about their deliveries. Zazie disliked work at this time of the year, because running around delivering letters and fighting gaichuu along the way was ten thousand times harder when you're busy trying not to slip while looking stupid in a reindeer headband.

The weeks rolled by and in the blink of an eye, it was already Christmas eve, the last day for deliveries. Zazie was tired as a mangled dog as he returned to the Hive after his last round, and after he passed his gifts to Lag and Connor, who were both equally tired of Zazie complaining about how the whole reindeer thing was a complete pain in the ass, he trudged down the corridor to sneak into Thunderland's little hideout.

Thunderland was busy changing wreaths for his animal samples' memorials and admiring the pristine blanket of snow outside. His laboratory was as white and sterile as ever – he dodnt bother with decorations since they were a waste of money. He heard the door swing open, and he placed a final wreath on the memorial for a rat, and turned around. Zazie stood at the door, holding a small red box in his hands. A pair of speckled reindeer ears and chocolate brown horns stood on his head in place of his cap. Thunderland snickered, and gestured for him to come over.

"You got anything for me?" Thunderland asked, a lopsided grin plastered on his face. Zazie pushed the box into Thunderland's palms. "Merry Christmas, old man. You got me anything?"

Thunderland chuckled and put the box onto the window ledge. He pulled Zazie into a warm hug, and placed a gentle peck on his nose, and joked, "Merry Christmas, Rudolph."

Zazie hid his smile behind a scowl.

* * *

**I think this one is overly short. It didn't look that way when I was typing it out on my phone! (Although it did when I was re-typing in onto the computer.)**

**Anyway, this is out of season, I know, but w/e. Happy Halloween, guys! Muahahahahhaaa~~ :D**


	10. MAEKINF OTU

**So I recently changed my pen name, because my paranoia knows no bounds! Anywho, you all might be wondering, 'What the hell is MAEKINF OTU?' Yeah it's a misspelling of a misspelling of the actual title, 'making out'. It was hilarious so I just left it like that. And therefore this chapter will be somewhat nsfw, and this is actually the first time I've written anything like this so I've tried to make it as not-gross as I could but idk if I succeeded and I'm feeling very embarrassed now and I'm talking way more than I should so here it is.**

**I apologize in advance.**

* * *

Making Out

Zazie sat on Thunderland's lap and straddled his hips with Thunderland's hands supporting his back, the both of them sharing a heated kiss on the couch in the living room. The remnants of their dinner were still left uncleared on the table, and the fireplace emitted a lukewarm heat, helping to insulate them further against the chill outside.

Zazie bit and licked Thunderland's bottom lip timidly, and Thunderland parted his lips slightly, letting Zazie's tongue slip inside and run over his teeth. He tasted the traces of spaghetti dinner on Zazie's tongue and winced – the foreign object in his mouth wasn't something he was used to. He drew back a little before shifting forward again, and let Zazie have his fill. Zazie broke the kiss, and wiped away a trickle of saliva on the back of his hand.

Thunderland chuckled at the sight, and the resonant pounding of his heart in his ears was slowly becoming deafening. He pulled Zazie closer with a gasp from the latter, and made his way onto the other's neck, kissing it gently and lightly running his teeth over Zazie's skin. The boy shuddered and breathed in deeply, enjoying the coldness of Thunderland's teeth on his skin. He tilted his head, smiling contentedly, and gave the Doctor more room to work with. Thunderland then ran his tongue over Zazie's neck and began to nibble on the wet patch of skin. Goosebumps spread themselves over the younger boy's skin. Thunderland slid his hands under Zazie's shirt and ran his fingers over the other's lower back, making him moan softly, a shiver running up his spine and a pinkish colour tracing his cheeks.

Zazie took pleasure in the Doctor's warm breath on his neck, despite being more-than-aware of the sensitive tightness in his pants. He clutched Thunderland's woolen vest and shifted even closer, and when Thunderland bit him gently and kissed his neck he moaned again, a little louder, and involuntarily thrusted against the Doctor. Thunderland drew back quickly, realizing the lewdness of this situation, and a quiet whine of disappointment escaped Zazie's lips.

"C'mon, can't we go…" Zazie pleaded and then caught himself, embarrassed with his inappropriate eagerness. "I mean, like, it's not like you're not… uh…" He trailed off, unable to describe the situation, but not before giving a shy glance at Thunderland's trousers. The older man stuffed a cushion between them to cover it up.

"I know. That's why we have to stop now, before it gets any more… intense?" Thunderland didn't know if _intense _was the correct word to use. "You're only fifteen, and just a horny teenager." Thunderland laughed at his own words, and his eyes caught the reddish mark he had left on Zazie's neck. He brushed his hand against it. "Ah, I went too far."

"H-horny teenager?! Who was the one kissing my neck, huh?" Zazie blushed profusely and stood up abruptly. He turned an even deeper shade of red as his hands raced to his neck, covering the awful hickey. "Shit, how do I hide this?"

"You violated my mouth first! And you can always use your scarf to cover it. It's part of your uniform so that's not a problem, hopefully. Oh, I have to clear those." Thunderland got up (quite uncomfortably) and carried the plates and cutlery, stacking them up. He paused, and shot a playful look towards Zazie.

"That last thing you did back there was a low blow, horny teenager," Thunderland spoke. "Don't worry, maybe next time I'll feel better with continuing from where we left off~!" He watched and laughed as Zzaie glared at him in desperation and embarrassment.

"_**SHUT UP!**_"

* * *

**I am so embarrassed right now oh my god**


	11. Genderswapped

**Warning: This chapter has mentions of BDSM, but only like one tiny line near the end. Also this might be a little confusing because there are 2 Dr Thunderland Jrs, and I don't have their first names. Speaking of which, does anyone know what Thunderland's full name is? And also, this is by far the most fun I've had writing a chapter.**

* * *

Genderswapped

"Do you know where we are?" Zazie asked. He and Thunderland stood in front of a large, unfamiliar building that stood in front of a large, unfamiliar building that stood in place of the Bee Hive. Thunderland shook his head, trying to piee information together.

"Eh," they heard a voice behind them, and the two turned around only to see Lag. Zazie breathed a sigh of relief. "Lag! What happened to the Hive?" Zazie asked, but only got a sneer in reply.

"What Lag? M' name's Lala," 'Lag' answered brusquely. _Lala?! _Zazie was thoroughly confused, as was the Doctor. "Are you two planning to sneak into the Burrow? Because if you are, I'd really like the both of you to piss off." _Since when did Lag ever speak like that?!_

"Oy, Lag, you alright?" Zazie began hesitantly. "What happened to the Hive?" Lala sneered again.

"How many times do I have to tell you, My name is Lala. Lala Seeing," she emphasized. "An' I dunno what you're going on about, but you two seem pretty suspicious to me." She narrowed her purple eyes (Zazie then noticed that her hair was covering the other eye) and drew out a small silver key from her pocket. Thunderland pulled Zazie away protectively as an uncomfortable tension began to build in the air.

"Magicarin! Jaguar Nicholas, engage!" The key began to glow, and eventually the light materialized into a boy in his late teens. He sported short, messy hair that shone like gold and his eyes were a deep sapphire blue. His gaze seemed to bore into the two, making them feel very uncomfortable. Thunderland thought, _If Lala was the female version of Lag, then Nicholas was…_

"It's those, then?" Nicholas faced Lala and spoke without expression, his voice of a tenor range. Lala gave a nod, and with the tenacity of a lion, Nicholas lunged at them without hesitation, his beast arms unsheathed. Thunderland, not wanting to hang around till he started using his hair, grabbed hold of Zazie's arm and shouted, "Run!" They dashed down a street, Nicholas beginning to jump from roof to roof, trailing them from above.

Thunderland and Zazie turned into an alley, shrinking into the darkness and trying out to listen out for their pursuer. "Where are we?" Zazie hissed, out of breath, and the Doctor replied, "Alternate dimension."

"Alternate dimension?!" Zazie couldn't believe his ears. If they had managed to travel across dimensions, then how could they get back?

"It's just a hunch," Thunderland tried to sound assertive, and failed.

"O~h, Nicholas! How nice to see you here! Where's Lala? What are you doing?" A shrill voice rang out, and the pair poked their heads out of the small shadows. Out on the main road stood a rather curvaceous woman with waist-length silver hair, and beside her a shorter, younger, raven-haired girl.

"Oh, hello, Zadine, Doctor," Nicholas answered, his expression no different from when he had tried to murder Zazie and Thunderland. Zazie turned to look at the Doctor with disbelieving eyes. Thunderland seemed to look shocked as well, in his own Thunderland way, but he said nothing, and motioned for Zazie to pipe down.

Zadine (Zazie thought that it was a pretty stupid name) was hugging the Other Doctor's arm and giggling incessantly, while the Other Doctor seemed to blush at every word. Thunderland thought that she seemed like a bit of an airhead.

"So, how was your date yesterday?" Nicholas asked Zadine and her companion. It appeared that he had the attention span of a goldfish, for he had forgotten about Zazie and Thunderland, much to their relief. The only problem was getting out, and getting back home to Amberground. Their ears pricked as they heard Nicholas' question. So it appeared that their female counterparts were dating as well. Thunderland felt a little disappointed. How could they be so public about it? Then again, perhaps the social customs of here differed from those back home.

"It was great!" Zadine chirped, jumping up and down while still holding on to the Other Doctor's arm. "We had some nice noodles, and then we went back and had some really nice s–" At that moment, Thunderland covered Zazie's ears. The younger boy struggled as the older woman looked down and blushed wildly, timid as a fawn. Thunderland didn't like her cery much.

As Zazie struggled, he delivered an accidental headbutt to Thunderland's lower jaw, causing the Doctor to recoil back and shout out loudly in pain, which attracted the attention of Nicholas, who, with a simple bat of his eyelids, shot sharp needle-like strands of hair at them. Zazie ducked while Thunderland fell, and both escaped with only a few cuts. It stung, but Zazie pulled the Doctor to his feet and they ran out and away from Nicholas, leaving Zadine and Ms. Bashful in shock. Nicholas chased after his targets, intent on having them dead, or at least badly injured.

Zadine watched as Nicholas chased after that oddly familiar pair, her arm entwined in that of Dr. Thunderland's. "Hunh", Zadine mused, and _her _Thunderland looked down at her, long silver hair falling slightly, framing her serene face oh-so-perfectly. Zadine grinned at the older woman, and squeezed her arm even tighter.

Oh, how she loved the endless, endearing, _submissive_silences from the older woman, and how she would blush uncontrollably at Zadine's every touch, how she would quickly draw up her hand to cover the scar crossing her left cheek when Zadine reached out to try and touch it, how her pearly skin would turn red when being restrained by rope and wires, and especially her smooth velvet-coated voice, one that called out Zadine's name every time without fail.

Thunderland gazed down at Zadine, and wrenched her arm free, before hugging the younger girl, her own hand pressed at the back of Zadine's head. Zadine spotted a secluded alley nearby (Wasn't it the one the two boys had run out of?) and dragged Thunderland into it. Before she knew it, Thunderland was pinned to the wall, and Zadine's piercing eyes were directed at her.

"How long do we have?" Zadine asked, youthful voice hiding a layer of devious intent. Thunderland felt blood rush to her head, and felt even more embarrassed when Zadine let slip a predatory smirk.

"Five minutes, at most. But only kissing, alright?" Thunderland's voice was almost a whisper. It was true that she loved Zadine, and she didn't exactly feel uncomfortable with what the younger girl used - but the Doctor couldn't help wishing that she would be a little more tender with the older woman.

Zadine pouted. "Fine," she sighed, pressed Doctor's wrists against the brick wall, and dove in for the kill.

* * *

**And here I shall include a little something I thought of the other night: What I'd briefly describe the characters as if their personalities were pushed to the extreme.**

**Lag - Pansy With a Big Heart****  
****Niche - Socially Awkward Girl Who Speaks In Third Person****  
****Sylvette - BAMF Mom****  
****Gauche - Charismatic Nice Guy. Workaholic.****  
****Zazie - Tsundere Jerk****  
****Connor - Blur Sotong****  
****Thunderland Jr - Creepy Guy With Creepy Hobby****  
****Largo Lloyd - Eccentric Pedophile And Bipolar Flirt****  
****Aria Link - Efficient Secretary But Also Moe Alcoholic****  
****Moc Sullivan - Severus Snape****  
****Jiggy Pepper - Unnecessarily Cool Guy****  
****Noir - I Don't Know Who I Am Anymore/My Favourite Colour Is Black, Like My Soul****  
****Roda - BAMF but with 99.99% More Kawaii****  
****Lawrence - Primary Antagonist With Serious Issues****  
****Every Gaichuu Ever - Kokoros Make My Lack Of Kokoros Go Doki Doki**


	12. Morning Ritual

Morning Ritual

An incessant buzzing of an alarm clock was what jolted Thunderland awake, and without thinking, he brought his hand down on the clock, silencing it. Thunderland lay back down on his bed, savouring the warmth in between the blankets and the sheets for a few more minutes before he had to get ready for work.

"Mmh," a voice murmured groggily, and slender arms tightened around his bare torso. Thunderland reached out for his eyepatch and put it on swiftly - as close as they were, Thunderland still didn't want Zazie seeing his blind eye.

"It's 6, wake up," Thunderland said softly, but Zazie only yawned, head buried in the Doctor's chest. It was always cold in the morning, and Zazie was reluctant to step out of bed.

"You wake up first."

"I have." Thunderland shifted lower under the blankets until he was covered up to his neck. Zazie raised his head, suddenly very appreciative of the fact that Thunderland slept in only his undergarments, and arched his eyebrows. The Doctor then took the chance to give the boy a quick kiss. Said boy wrinkled his nose at the taste of morning breath and made a snarky remark about the Doctor's eyepatch being on his face 24/7.

"Rise an' shine, handsome," Thunderland chuckled, and flung the blanket off Zazie, who curled himself into a pajama-clad ball and proceeded to complain at the top of his lungs about the damned heating problem.

* * *

**Because Zazie is not a morning person.**


	13. Spooning (Is such a funny name)

**Bree: I politely ask if you could bring me along the next time you go adventuring in Amberground. (´****・****ω****・｀****)**

* * *

Spooning

Thunderland awoke to the sound of Zazie's heavy breathing, and saw that he was sitting, hunchbacked and looking quite panicky. Thunderland moved over to where he was, and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Zazie jumped when he did so, and clutched at the blankets as he faced him, then turned away.

"Trouble sleeping?"

"Mmm."

"Nightmares?"

"Mmm."

"Care to elaborate?" The Doctor had already put on his eyepatch, but Zazie hadn't made a snarky remark about that yet, so something was definitely off. The boy shunned away from Thunderland's touch, and swatted away the Doctor's hand. He shook his head, and gathered himself together before saying, "Nothing. It's nothing."

"You can't expect me to keep guessing everything, y'know." Thunderland had meant it as a joke, but seeing as Zazie flinched after hearing those words, it was evident that he took it the other way around.

After a short period of silence, Zazie finally spoke, "Gaichuu. Parents. Nothing much." His words were forced, and he seemed to be held together by spider silk, only moments away from breaking down. From those words, Thunderland could piece together what Zazie meant. He could only think of what had happened on that fateful day. _Did he cry?_ Probably not, he seemed too proud for all that, but he was only a child back then. Thunderland wondered if such night terrors were common occurrences with the boy. Mana should have something for that, he decided. Her and her magical relaxing herbs. He would ask her about it tomorrow.

"I'm going to sleep," Zazie lay back down, still turning away from the Doctor, who regretted not saying anything just then. Anything would have been fine, but he had said nothing. In his defence, he had nothing much to say, since he was not a person of words, and the boy was in no need of any comfort (or was he?) since he dealt with most of such problems like how a dog dealt with its faeces, that is, to scrape clumps of dirt over it, and leave it there to fester and rot, while taking precautions never to come across it again.

Zazie slept, but Thunderland could not be sure of it. Wordlessly, he gathered his arms around the boy, and pulled him close so that the curves of his body fit together with those of his own, and when he felt Zazie place his hand on top of his own, he knew that, in some way, Zazie was comforted.


	14. Doing Something Ridiculous Part 1

**This one is basically crack. There will be loads of breaking the fourth wall and very ooc characters. Perhaps even more ooc than my actual writing, but weh, it's crack, even if I'm not too good at writing it. Well then, enjoy~!**

* * *

Doing something ridiculous: Blimps Part 1

Largo Lloyd had recently gotten hold of a blimp. It was grey, and very distasteful, so he had some people give it a paint job. It ended up with flames stretching across the fabric. Largo thought it looked extremely handsome, and he made a remark to himself about how he would marry it if he could. Largo decided to name it (her!) Bessie, and trotted out of his office and into the now not-empty space where the blimp stood. He was dressed in an elaborate 18th century English ceremonial costume, only pink, with plastic yellow brooches. The "crew-mates" he had called upon were already waiting, and they consisted of Lag, Zazie, Connor, Dr Thunderland Jr, Aria, Jiggy and himself, as the captain. Largo smiled proudly as he addressed his crew.

"Why the hell are we here?" Zazie asked impatiently. "And what is that hideous thing?"

"This is a blimp, young lad, and–"

"Director, why have you bought a blimp?" Aria rubbed her temples. Going back to work on a Sunday was not on her agenda. Her agenda, however, did involve copious amounts of liquor, and copious amounts of eyeliner tears.

"To go on shenanigans, of course! I am your captain, and you are my crew!" Largo laughed, his arms akimbo.

"Why do we all have to go?" Connor asked lethargically.

"Beca~use, you see, you all are main and supporting characters of both the anime and manga series in which we exist, and I neeeeeed you!" Largo was enjoying this very much.

"I trade my place for Gauche Suede," Thunderland offered hopefully.

"Sorry, no can do! Besides, Gauche has been brainwashed and is now Noir, can't you remember?" Thunderland fell silent, and Aria began to sob. Jiggy wrapped an arm around her.

"Why can't we bring our dingoes?" Lag asked.

"Too little space. Well, no more questions, right? Good! Because our first mission is to go to an alternate universe already mentioned before in this story! Now, get on the blimp!" His crew grumbled, and shuffled onto the blimp, leaving only Thunderland on the ground, colour drained from his face.

"I... I can't go on."

"And why not?"

"B-because... I HAVE A PERFECTLY RATIONAL FEAR OF BLIMPS AN' AIRSHIPS AN' FLYING!" Thunderland exclaimed, wringing his hands, and Largo shook his head slowly in mock sympathy.

"Oh, _Roy_, everyone knows that you need a medic upon this ship. Besides, we have to have you on board with Zazie, since you and he make up the main homosexual couple of the story! Otherwise, it won't count."

"H-homo?!"

"Uh, yeah."

"But we're not actually gay in canon, you kn–"

"I don't really care."

"Bu–"

"GET UP HERE, YOU PANSY!" Zazie yelled from inside the blimp. Thunderland took slow baby steps toward the giant thing, and Largo kicked him in, before going up himself.

Jiggy and Connor had already stationed themselves as pilot and co-pilot respectively, and Lag was busy trying to talk Aria out of her tears. Largo exclaimed in a loud voice, "Now, towards the space-time portal!"

"Very well. Whatever lies beyond, there's no turning back now. We must face those challenges head on!" Jiggy said coolly, and his co-pilot gave a remark on how cool he was.

"It's just my duty," The Cool Guy tipped his hat, but the atmosphere was sliced through as if by a knife when a voice coming from the back of the cabin rang through the blimp. The pilot and co-pilot dashed to the back, and saw Noir the Marauder and his partner, Roda, enter through the door, closing it behind them.

"Not so fast!" Noir exclaimed, and Lag turned, tearing up, and practically flung himself at the man.

"Gauche!" He squealed, voice cracking, and Aria, still sitting in her little corner, gaped at the man in black. Roda rolled her eyes and wrenched Lag off Noir, and spoke, her voice crystal clear, "He's Noir, not Gauche." That set Aria off again, and Lag ran back to comfort her.

"The true question is why you are here," Largo eyed the two, and Noir paused, studying the other man from head to toe.

"I am Noir the Marauder, and this is my partner Roda, and together we are the Dynamic Duo! Together – spreading hope of a new Amberground and then destroying it with our bare hands!"

Roda continued, "Having multiple series of identity crises!"

"Plundering letters!"

"Being melodramatic!"

"Breeding large gaichuu!"

"That sounded quite wrong."

"I'm sorry."

"Quit screwing around," Largo snorted. Noir eyed him once again, and asked, "...What is that you're wearing?"

"Fitting, isn't it?" Largo adjusted the collar of his costume, and said, "We're here to go on a trip to an alternate dimension. And you?"

"We're following you," Roda said, purple eyes fixed on Largo. Moments passed, and she began to burst into bouts of uncontrollable laughter.

"Do as you please – after all, how can I resist stopping a beautiful lady such as yourself?" Largo drew Roda's hand to his lips, before he re-assumed position as the commander, and once again gave the order to set off. The blimp shakily lifted off the ground as Connor wondered how they would make it without any prior experience in flying. Then he turned, and coyly grinned at Noir. "It's been a while, Noir. Formerly Gauche Suede, _stellar_ Bee. What _have_ you done?"

"Same to you, Largo Lloyd, bipolar egomaniac and _utterly_ irresponsible Director of the Letter Bee Hive." Noir copied his smile.

"You and I will get along well."

"Want to have drinks sometime?"

"I don't see why not."

Thunderland, in the meantime, made his way over to Zazie, and sat down beside him. Neither one looked at each other. Zazie first broke the silence, "They say we're supposed to be gay for each other here."

"So I've heard."

"Let's get things straight - if you touch me, even _try_ to grope me, I will kick you in the fucking balls."

"Same to you."

"Because I hate your creepy ass."

"So be it."

"Ooh yes, you two will be sleeping beside each other on the mattresses upstairs!" Largo stood in front of them, and clapped his hands together. "Sleeping arrangements are fixed~!"

"What the hell!" Zazie protested, and he stood up abruptly.

"Can we not?!" Thunderland stood up to his full height, and stared Largo dead in the eye. Largo made a show of laughing bashfully and waving his hands.

"No~pe!"

"You're really enjoying yourself, aren't you?"

"Disgusting old geezer."

"Approaching turbulence!" Connor announced over the intercom. "Hold on to something!" Lag, upon hearing this, held on to Noir, who held on to Roda. Zazie made a comment about "if anyone were to be gay it would be Lag", and held onto a handle embedded in the wall. As the blimp shook tremendously in the clouds Thunderland had a sudden mental breakdown. He curled himself up into a ball and started to talk to himself.

Connor told Jiggy that he honestly didn't think they were going to make it. Jiggy merely put on his shades, and stared off into the distance.

They didn't make it.

* * *

**To be continued in part 2 because I hate reading long pages. I'll have that one up in a jiffy (lies). I'm not very good at writing crack, am I…**


	15. Doing Something Ridiculous Part 2

**I've been in a bit of a dump lately, but I've returned with the continuation of the epic series: Blimps.**

* * *

14. Doing Something Ridiculous: Blimps Part 2

The blimp hit high winds, and thanks to the pilots' lack of experience, it was sent tumbling down, and they crash-landed in the outskirts of Yuusari. The crew staggered out of the blimp, and Thunderland began to kiss the ground. They could see the tips of the Bifrost Gate from where they were – they hadn't flown far at all.

Largo found himself staring at the corpse of his 199,999 Rin baby. "No!" He cried, and flung his arms onto the blimp. Seemingly devastated, he whipped around and pointed accusingly at the two pilots. "You! And you! You're both fired from the crew!"

Connor breathed a sigh of relief and Jiggy tilted his cap so that his eyes were shadowed by it, and said gravely, "It was fun while it lasted, but as for every play, the curtains must descend."

"Oh my Empress," Zazie breathed.

Lag began to whine. Not many had seen him whine before. "We didn't get to the alternate universe! Why? I want to go! I want to gooo!" he then began to drown himself in tears while Noir commented on what a baby he was. Aria was distraught, and decided to take a week off from work and drowse herself in alcohol. Largo lit a cigarette and began to think, while Zazie found a match, struck it, and threw it onto the remains of the blimp. It burst into crackling flames behind the Director.

"Why'd you do that?!" Largo screeched, spitting out his cigarette and grinding it into the ground with his foot.

"Am I sacked too?" Zazie asked.

"Hell yeah you are!"

"Sweet." Zazie ran to Jiggy's side and pleaded, "Teach me your ways, Master Pepper."

"Such things cannot be taught. They can only be caught," Jiggy gave a grin and a wink, and Zazie's eyes widened with pure wonder and awe.

Aria stomped over to the Director, grabbed hold of his faux pink hat, and flung it into the flames. "I'm done," she growled, and strode over to where Jiggy was, and began to sulk.

"A~ri~a~!" How could you leave me here like this? You're my assistant! I can't go on without you!"

"Don't give me that shit!" Aria was close to tearing her hair out. Her nostrils flared, and Zazie snorted, and gave a callous remark, "Don't be such a bitch, Aria."

Aria Link snapped. She ripped off her shoes and flung both at Zazie, then began to cry about work and Sundays and getting a decent rest and alcohol and Gauche Suede. Her crying, together with Lag's whining, gave Thunderland a bad headache. He massaged his temples, and Roda patted him on the shoulder. "I feel for you," she smiled helpfully.

"She's losing it," Zazie whispered to Connor. The other boy only replied, "I bet she's just PMS-ing." Jiggy squatted beside Aria to comfort her.

"Hmph. Well, it doesn't matter. I can do this just as easily without you all," Largo huffed, and turned to face the rest of his crew. "So, how do we set about doing this?"

"You do realize that there's no way this blimp can be rebuilt, right?" Connor folded his arms.

"...I knew that. No matter, I still have the warranty! I left it in the blimp... Oh." Largo turned to look at the burning carcass. The flames stretched several meters into the air, making the stars unnoticeable and casting the dark sky with an orange-purple glow. Largo placed his hands in front of him in a solemn posture, and proclaimed in a sombre voice, "Here lies Bessie, my darling handsome blimp. Oh Bessie, if only you were human! I would have married you and put flowers in your hair! But now you lie, burning, as flames consume your soul–"

Zazie whispered to Connor, "See, it's ironic because it had a paint job of flames on it." Connor did his best to suppress his laughter.

"– and you fall as majestically as you rose before, along with my 199,999 Rin and my warranty. Oh, Bessie! Rest in peace!" His speech drew sniffles and claps from Lag and Jiggy. Aria just stared at him, hair disheveled and eyes devoid of any hope. She just really wanted to go home. Like, really.

Largo turned towards Jiggy. "Well, it looks like we have no choice but to rely on you, _pilot_." Jiggy only smiled graciously.

"I'm glad. I have a chance to redeem myself, and I won't let you down. I won't let anybody down," He mused, and cupped his hands over his mouth. The crew fell silent as he turned towards the direction of the Hive and bellowed out something similar to a whale call. "Now, we wait," Jiggy said, removing his hands from around his mouth. Zazie was the only one who clapped at his act.

Hours passed, and it soon fell to around the 22th bell. The crew sat near the slowly diminishing flames of good ol' Bessie, and listened to Jiggy tell cool tales of his super cool adventures on his ultra cool Iron Horse, and Largo would interrupt and tell his own tales of travels "over yonder". Roda got Thunderland to read out some of his medical observations and several not-so-private parts of his personal Thinking Journal. Zazie dissed all of them. It seemed that the whole "you two are gay" thing had soured his impression of the Doctor even more than it already was, but nobody really cared about that, and they told Zazie to shut up. Connor found and ate old bits of food stuck in his pants and Noir told him off. Lag whined some more, and was also told off. Aria was silent through the whole ordeal. She really, really wanted to go home.

The crew soon heard an increasing rumble in the distance, and Jiggy's Iron Horse came powering through the dirt as if on autopilot, carrying two carriages in tow. The crew gasped in awe at the pure coolness of the Iron Horse. Zazie called shotgun for its second seat, and the rest squeezed into the two carriages.

Lag suddenly realised something, and asked, "Wait, if the Iron Horse is run by Jiggy's heart then how was it able to get here without him rid–" Zazie clamped his hand over the boy's mouth, and whispered, his voice gravely quiet, "Don't question the logic. Do you want to get back or not?" Lag nodded.

And so, with Jiggy driving the Iron Horse back to the Hive, the crew left behind yet another "it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time" sort of memory they all desperately wanted to forget. Their backs were turned to the dying flames as they steered into the uncertain future beyond, and Thunderland said that it was a pity to see so much air pollution happening. Zazie complained about having to return to the usual storyline – "Where I have to go make out with you, of all people!" – but was otherwise content.

In the back carriage, Aria spoke softly to the Director, her voice strained, "I apologise profusely for my earlier actions, Director. However, I wish that you do not place emphasis on my actions, and _please_, grant me permission to take a week's leave from work."

Largo appeared to be in deep thought, which is very hilarious when you're in a pink English costume. He tilted his head towards Aria, and smiled cheerfully, his eyes happy little lines hidden behind spectacles, and he gave his equally cheerful reply:

"Whatever. I'll run the thing just as easily without you."

* * *

**Remember when I said that writing the genderbents oneshot was the most fun I had? Well, that just got beaten by this. Welp, now that this is over, it's back to the usual storyline! (Oh no!) Also, good luck surviving the END OF THE WORLD**


	16. Dancing

**-Legasp- Look! An update! Also, this one is partially related to the drabble after the next.**

* * *

Dancing

Thunderland had slipped a note to Zazie earlier that day, saying that he was invited to some drinks after work with Largo Lloyd, Aria Link, and Mana Jones, the caretaker of the Beehive's Relaxation Lounge. He'd be back late, he had written.

Zazie was lying on his stomach in his own room of Thunderland's house, reading and re-reading the short note he had received. His eyes traced the Doctor's haphazard writing, and he noticed that those virtually illegible letters rivalled that of the worst address-writing he had ever attempted to read. Zazie never knew him as much of a social butterfly... Was there something special happening today? _Humph_. Zazie felt like a bit of an outcast, but the world of adults was no place for a mere 15-year old; and Zazie reminded himself that Thunderland wasn't exactly all chummy with _his _friends either – which was a good thing, now that he came to think about it. Groaning, Zazie tossed the note aside and got up from the bed, his body leaving an imprint on the mattress as he gingerly stepped over a sleeping Wasiolka. He then snuck into the Doctor's room in search of anything interesting to preoccupy him with.

He soon returned, arms being weighed down with a stack of books he had found – he didn't think that the Doctor would have so many fiction books. The books sank into the mattress beside his body-imprint and Zazie lay back down on his stomach, tried to get comfortable in a bed too soft for him, and turned a leathery cover over to read the blurb.

_Long ago, Amberground was a beautiful place – even more than how it is now. _(That sentence drew a snigger from Zazie) _The skies were of a light blue and the sun gave out a warmth and a light unparalleled by any other. This is the story of the unfortunate ending of that world, and the blessed beginning of ours." _A warm sun? Zazie chuckled to himself in disbelief. The Artificial Sun had been in place for as long as Zazie could remember – the thing never gave out more warmth than the meagre flame of the smallest candle, and the amount of light that reached Yuusari was no brighter than about 30 street lamps put together. The idea of a 'warm' and 'bright' sun was downright outrageous. Nevertheless, he thumbed through the author's note and began to read.

Zazie wasn't sure how much time passed when he heard slurred voices hollering at one another. Loud laughing echoed through the corridors, and there was a heavy 'thump' of the door as it closed shut. Zazie broke out of his reading daze, blinked twice and rubbed his dry, itchy eyes, suddenly aware of the fact that he was, indeed, very tired. _Ah, I've concentrated too hard, _he chided himself and rolled over to the side of the bed, looking up at the clock. Around the first Bell already? _Tch_. Little less than 3 hours had passed since Zazie had started reading, and he was only halfway through the second book. He folded the corner of the page he was on, and scampered downstairs, once again stepping over Wasiolka, who had changed her sleeping position and was snoring quietly.

The Doctor was slumped over in a ratty, khaki-coloured armchair in the living room. The dim, yellow-tinted lighting softened his features and he would have looked as if he were sleeping if not for the slight, groggy nod of his head to the slow beat of soft music playing from the radio. Zazie laughed inwardly from the sight – the man was obviously drunk. He walked over to the armchair and leant against one of the cushioned arms, and in spite of his tiredness, smirked. "Hey."

The Doctor looked up to face him and flashed a silly smile, his eyes crinkling up and his face slightly pink from alcohol. "Hello therrrre." His speech was slurred and his voice husky, and he stood up shakily, using the armchair as support. Once he was actually standing, he extended an arm. "May I have this dance?" He asked, his eyes half-lidded and sleepy.

Zazie shook violently with laughter and clapped his hands, doubling over and clutching his stomach as he did so. Peals of tickled laughter rang throughout the apartment for a while and eventually Zazie calmed himself down and rubbed his eyes again. They really itched. Unable to wipe his amused grin off his face, Zazie glanced up at The Doctor still held out his hand, with an expectant look on his face. That, matched with his lopsided grin, made him look like the biggest retard around, Zazie thought. Even so, he took his hand, and Thunderland pulled him close, putting an arm around his waist. Zazie savoured the closeness of their bodies, and did the same as the bigger man.

The both of them swayed slowly in time to the music, Thunderland humming softly and tripping over his own feet ever so often with Zazie hanging off the taller man, trying his best to copy Thunderland's movements. He didn't usually dance, but neither did the Doctor. Just as Thunderland attempted a twirl, his foot stubbed against the leg of a coffee table and almost fell, if not for Zazie propping up his body. Their faces were mere inches away from each other, and the soft lighting managed to make it remotely intimate despite Thunderland's breath reeking of alcohol.

"Holy crap, man, you're huge! Stand up!" Zazie protested, trying to push Thunderland back on his feet. The Doctor just chuckled, too dazed to get back up by himself.

"Wanna see what else is huge?"

Zazie's ears pricked at the question, and he made a face, somewhere along the lines of amusement and embarrassment, and he answered, "Not while you're wasted. Now stand, or I'm gonna let you fall."

"No you wouldn't," the Doctor said, and reluctantly steadied himself. He yawned, and rubbed his eyes. "I'm so tired..." He stumbled to his couch and collapsed, then began to snore loudly almost immediately after.

Zazie thought of dragging the man upstairs, but decided against it. He switched off the radio and came to stand beside Thunderland, his hand hovering over the Doctor's eye patch. Curiosity scratched at Zazie's thoughts and he wanted to remove the eye patch to see what was underneath. Zazie smiled at the thought, and decided to leave the story behind Thunderland's eye for another day. He was too tired to mull over anything then. Zazie bent over, lightly brushing Thunderland's messy bangs out of the way, and gently kissed his forehead. "Good luck with your hangover," Zazie snickered, switched off the lights and made his way up to bed.

* * *

**Sure hope y'all don't mind all the innuendos I sneak into these things… Also I believe a thank-you note is in order. Thanks to all the visitors who've chanced upon this, everyone who followed and favourited (go find more quality things to read, yeah) this story and even myself! Which is very surprising indeed :O**

**And of course, a huge thank-you to everyone who reviewed (especially Bree who has reviewed practically every chapter in this! I'm really touched that you actually bothered… ;u;) And I hope you continue to enjoy this if you have, although this ship isn't very popular with the fandom I think… I may be the only one, or one of the tiny minority that ships this. Thanks for being tolerant with me so far. =u=;;;**

**I've also realised that these two tend to kiss a lot. Is this some sort of subconscious desire of mine to be kissed a lot as well hmmm-**


	17. In Formal Wear

**Isn't this situation a bit too much like a shoujo manga…? =u=;**

* * *

In formal wear

Zazie adjusted his bowtie and grumbled, "The stupid thing's choking me." He stood at the back of a makeshift cafe – it had come about when the Director had suggested that since they were running low on funds, (he had used up most of them) the staff were supposed to put up a small-ish cafe while the Director himself was oh-so-conveniently away on a business trip. Furthermore, to serve his odd kinks, the males had to dress up as butlers in suits, and the females as maids in frilly albeit rather revealing dresses. Aria was not spared from this ordeal, and Zazie was glad that there was actually something good coming out of this. He made sure to sneer at her and stick out his tongue whenever she walked past, and in return, she glowered at him and stomped off, making a mental note to send him oon twice as many deliveries the next week.

"I hate the old bastard," Zazie grumbled again, conversationally. "And these suits are so hot – how are you okay with this?!" He glared at Thunderland, and the Doctor only shrugged.

"Whatever— oh wow, look, it's Jiggy Pepper!" Zazie stared at the express delivery postman in awe, as he expertly wove in between tables, spilling nothing on his stainless suit. He smiled charmingly at the customers, his cross-shaped scar on his right cheek adding to his unique charisma.

"Holy shit, he's so cool," Zazie sighed, leaning back against the wall, his eyes focused on his idol, the super cool guy with the super cool Iron Horse. How insensitive, Thunderland thought, and a small, nagging feeling of jealousy started to spread as Zazie continued to fawn over Jiggy.

Moc Sullivan came over to switch out and Thunderland took the silver tray from Moc's hands, and after a very nice well-wishing from Zazie ("Don't trip over yourself.") the Doctor breathed a sigh and put on a hopefully sincere smile, and went out to the nearest table who wanted their orders taken, with one irrational thought in his mind taking precedence over all other rational thoughts, and that was_: "I'm going to make him look at me like that!"_

Damn it, Thunderland thought, I'm such a girl.

Dr Thunderland Jr, the infamous biologist and Bee doctor, was serving cheap-ass food and attending to irritating, mousy customers in a mock suit. How degrading, he sighed inwardly as he took the orders of yet another bunch of "young ladies" and "gentlemen" who had come to get some food and much-appreciated eye candy. He repeated their order back to them, and smiled as genuinely as he could (though he was not usually one to fake his facial expressions). He then walked off to hand it to the kitchen staff, then mad his way back again bring the food, all the while trying to ignore petty comments such as, "He's pretty handsome!" or more absurd ones like, "I think he looks a bit constipated." At the end of his shift he passed his tray off to another Bee, and caught Zazie staring at him. He smirked, which drew the attention of a few more customers, and made his way back to Zazie's sulking place.

"See, I can be as good as that guy too," Thunderland said nonchalantly, removing his gloves and flexing his fingers.

Zazie only tilted his head, and did not understand what Thunderland meant by that at all.

* * *

**No, Thunderland, you're not a girl; you're just a socially inept guy with a jealous streak.**


	18. Doing Something Together: Getting Busted

**Edit: Oops forgot this chapter was supposed to be before the baking one hahahahaha oops**

**Bree: I'm glad you like them! And it was no problem. The shout outs, I mean. Yeah, Cafe!TB would be a great AU situation. (when they find spare time between delivering things and saving the universe lolololol) Have you tried writing anything like that before too?**

**The New Normal: Hehe thanks! I try to put as much humor as I can into these things... I'm not sure you could call them drabbles because they are so. loooonnnngggg. I don't really know the terms of these besides orz**

**Dragon Rhapsody: Sorry for not replying earlier (I think I'lll reply to all your review up here, it's way easier than PM-ing heh) and thanks for reviewwwiinngnngngds :)**

**This references the Dancing chapter (2 chapters before this)**

* * *

Doing Something Together: Getting Busted Together

"So," The Director began, putting away his papers and stubbing out his cigarette. The smell lingered in the room, and Zazie had to try and suppress the urge to cough. The Director leaned forward in his chair and clasped his hands together. "I suppose you both are wondering why I called the two of you here?"

Zazie and Thunderland stood before him, waiting for what was to come. Both were equally puzzled and fretful as to why Largo had specifically called them to his office. Zazie didn't like the Director very much. He was like a snake; the way he looked at people was as if he knew something about them that others didn't. Zazie shuddered.

"I've recently found out that you two were - how do I put this nicely - together?" The Director arched his eyebrows and coughed. _He couldn't have!_ Zazie felt a sudden need to throw up. the cigarette smell along with the sudden panic he felt made him want to retch.

An unnerving silence settled in the room, and Zazie caught a glimpse of the Doctor. He stood erect, arms locked at his sides. He stared intently at the Director, his head tilted slightly in feigned arrogance, his jaw set firmly in place. Zazie felt as though his heart had dropped into a never-ending pit. He gulped, clenched his cold fists and felt a bead of sweat trickle down his neck. His feet were numb, and he thought he was going to faint. Zazie hoped he didn't look as distraught as he felt.

The Director cleared his throat, and eyed the two before him over the rim of his glasses. They reminded him of schoolboys that got caught stealing. He brushed his grey locks of hair out of view, keeping back an amused chuckle.

"Don't worry," he began slowly. "I'm not going to fire you or anything, but I ask you both - and Thunderl- Roy, I tell you as your friend - be careful. Not all men are like me. And do keep your relationship out of work, for the good of us all." He paused, and continued, "And Doctor, I advise you not to get drunk again."

Zazie turned to look at the Doctor, his eyes widened and his eyebrows raised in shock. He had what? _You asshole!_ Zazie couldn't bring himself to believe what the Director had said. The Doctor had unconsciously curled his upper lip into the ghost of a snarl, and had narrowed his eyes in defense, but he seemed paler than usual and it was obvious that behind his cold facade, he was just as shell-shocked as Zazie.

The Director nodded to himself, and leaned back in his chair, looking down. "That's it. You are dismissed."

Zazie left first, walking towards the door in a daze, as if he were in a dream. Once outside he leant against a wall and breathed in deeply. Those once-familiar walls had grown too tall for Zazie's taste, and they pressed the corridor together, threatening to take him with bastard! Who knew he couldn't keep his mouth shut when he was drunk? Zazie could only hope that Largo was a good secret keeper, and that the fact that he was Thunderland's good friend would help this stay low-key.

_Oh yeah, they were friends, weren't they?_

At that moment the door swung open, and Thunderland strode out with an aura of hostility around him. As the heavy door closed with a small thud the Doctor relaxed, and leaned against the wall beside Zazie.

"Sorry," he managed a sorrowful whisper. "My fault."

"No shit." Zazie immediately regretted his words. He shuffled awkwardly, looking at his feet, and cleared his throat before asking, "Your name's Roy? You never told me."

"Yeah, sorry. It feels too informal," the Doctor smiled weakly and swallowed. Was Largo still willing to be associated with him after all this? He ran a hand through his hair and straightened his coat. "Let's go. I've got an overworked Bee who needs heart replenishing. Trust Largo to bring me out over this... What a pain in the ass." He began to walk down the corridor.

"You're pretty tough," Zazie mused, following behind.

"What?"

"I said, you're tough," Zazie repeated firmly. "Don't push yourself too far, though."

Thunderland stopped and turned, forcing a grin. It turned out to be more like a grimace. "I don't have these six-packs for nothing." Zazie glared at him.

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't," Thunderland retorted, almost immediately. He hesitated, and continued, "Anyway, you've got things to do right? Go do them. And also, don't come over later. I need... a bit of time."

Zazie blew out his cheeks and lightly punched the Doctor's shoulder. "See ya, then."

"...You too." Thunderland swatted Zazie away and began to walk off. Zazie watched forlornly as his large frame seemed to shrink miserably into his coat. With a hollow melancholy in his chest and the faint taste of bile in his mouth, Zazie began to make his way home.

* * *

**...I'm not sure what to feel. Second-hand nervousness and embarrassment and pity for them both. Dat ending tho**

**Also is Thunderland's name really Roy? I wrote this a long time ago and am only editing it now, so I forgot where it came from |||OTL**


	19. Baking

Cooking/**baking**

"Ah, thanks for offering to take care of the shop, Zazie!" exclaimed Sandra Gobani, one of the two owners of Sinner's Gun and Bread Shop.

"No biggie. Just as long as you pay me," Zazie shrugged, nonchalant. "Where're you going again?"

"Us letting you handle this place is more than enough!" Jacob, Sandra's husband and the other shop owner, gave Zazie a nougie, and rubbed his fist into his head.

"We're visiting the parents," Sandra said with a civil smile. "Oh yes, what... Dr Thunderland Jr, is it? Thank you for helping out as well! Do make sure that Zazie doesn't make a mess out of things - he's quite prone to doing so." Thunderland nodded politely. She seemed like a fairly good-natured lady, at least that until she began pulling her husband by the ear and shouting at him to leave Zazie alone. "We'll be back in 4 days, okay?" Sandra smiled again, and dragged Jacob out the door where their luggage was waiting.

The shop was empty, and Sandra had taken the remaining bread with her. Jacob had instructed them not to touch his guns, no matter what. The kitchen piqued Zazie's interest, and he ran into the storage room to get flour, eggs, cheese and milk. He set them down on the counter and fetched a recipe book, grinning mischievously.

"What are you doing? I'm here to keep you from messing with the shop, and it looks like you're messing with something here," Thunderland walked in, and crossed his arms.

"Oh puh-leeze. The shop's empty, and I've always wanted to figure out how she makes these... They taste great, I swear!" Zazie turned around and raised an eyebrow. "So, you gonna help me or what, Sassy Mc'Sass?"

_Sassy Mc'Sass?_ "What kind of nickname is that... Fine. Only because it's food. But if you screw up its none of my business, y'hear?" Zazie nodded a reply, and Thunderland got beside him, and began to wash his hands. "Now what?"

They tried to prepare cheese buns for half an hour, and by the time the mixture looked ready Zazie had dunked half a bag of flour on Thunderland as a prank, and the bigger man had succumbed to his inner child and had hurled eggs at Zazie. The floor was soon covered in a grimy mixture of flour, eggs and cheese flecks. Thunderland was the first to express any form of concern towards the mess they had made, and he shouted, "Oh crap! The floor!" Zazie put the wooden baking pan reminiscent to an oversized ladle into the baking furnace, then turned around and sighed.

"Relax, Doc, we've got like, what, 3, 4 days to clean this," he drawled. Thunderland did not relax one bit.

"We broke seven eggs in total and wasted one entire bag of flour! We have to replace them!" Zazie sighed again as the Doctor continued ranting on, "Why'd you drag me into this?"

"For the food, you said. Fine, if it'll make you happy, I can clean the floor, and you can go buy the stuff. But only after we eat." Thunderland, appalled by Zazie's irresponsibility (and his own lack of self-control), lightly slapped the back of the boy's head. Zazie shouted at him, and they play-scuffled for a bit until they got tired. Or, at least, until Zazie got tired.

Zazie looked at the clock, and realized that the scones had been baking for an extra five minutes. He then hastily hitched the giant pan-ladle out of the fire, and a smell of freshly-baked cheese buns filled the room, mixing with the smell of egg on the floor. Zazie put the buns on a plate, complaining about how hot they were, and then leaned the pan against a cupboard. He then carried the plate over to a table, while leaving powdery egg-and-flour footprints on the floor, and began to eat. Thunderland could only stare at him in shock.

"What? You want to eat? They're good, you know. Burnt a bit, though," Zazie said, his mouth full. Thunderland gave in to the delicious smell of food and ate one. It tasted of melted cheddar, and was a bit crisp on the outside. He reluctantly agreed that they tasted "decent", and they finished the plate in ten minutes. Zazie sighed contentedly, and shot a sneaky glance at the Doctor. He placed his elbow on the table and announced, "Arm-wrestling challenge. Loser has to wash the plates."

"Fine, but you agreed to clean the place after."

"Yeah, shut it."

At that moment the door burst open, stopping the two from carrying out their challenge. Sandra Gobani waltzed in, with a rather sheepish husband in tow. "Sorry for the intrusion, but _someone_ forgot- WHAT ON EARTH?!"

She glared daggers at both the boy and the man as Zazie trembled in fear and Thunderland turned to stone, and stomped over to them, while grimacing at the brand new texture of the floor. Jacob tried his best to suppress his laughter. "You..." Sandra heavily brought her baker's palm down on the table and it shook on its four legs from the impact, and glowered at the two.

"We-we're terribly sorry, Mrs Gobani!"

"I didn't mean it! He did, though!"


	20. In Battle Together

**Bree: 'Good' is a relative term. ;) But thanks! You're p good yourself, yanno? And yeah, I could've taken Roy from FMA. Roy is a cool name, though... eue**

* * *

In battle, side by side

Thunderland and Zazie stood in the middle of the desert, facing off a gaichuu reminiscent of an antlion larva. Wasiolka flanked Zazie's left, and she growled defensively as the gaichuu rose up from the sand below. They looked down, reminding themselves to be careful not to step into any sinkholes. Zazie was supposed to be at the next town delivering letters, but reckless as he was, he had sidetracked onto the desert, where many dangerous gaichuu resided. Thunderland only wanted to buy ingredients for a medicine he needed to brew, but tagged along anyway since they were going to the same town.

Fine sand fell through the gaps in the gaichuu's joints, and it screeched, the sound causing the metal to vibrate and gnash and scrape against one another, producing a horrible creaking noise, like fingers scratching against a blackboard. Zazie yelled at the Doctor to stay back, and he and Wasiolka charged toward the oncoming beast, Wasiolka taking the left and he the right. Thunderland, rather helpless in this department, took a few steps backward.

Wasiolka leapt onto the creature, momentarily distracting it as she scratched and clawed at it with amazing strength. Thunderland had a momentary, morbid want to dissect her, and watched in awe as the two of them worked together like a well-oiled machine against another very well-oiled metal insect. Zazie ran in front of the creature - a huge risk, but its weak spot was its mouth - and loaded his shindanjuu as the insect opened its mouth to shoot out life-sucking tentacles. All it took was one shot or one misstep, and it would be over. Zazie unwittingly stepped on a loose pile of sand, and did the latter.

Tentacles extended out of the creature's mouth like arrows, discolored and sponge-like, and Zazie swore, and tried to get up. Wasiolka leapt towards the boy, but the gaichuu, now having the upper hand and refusing to lose, swung a leg at her and flung her towards the side without a second thought. Tentacles engulfed Zazie, trapping him, and he swore again as his shindanjuu was knocked out of his hands.

Thunderland recklessly ran forward, while a terrible sense of dread, worry and fear took over him. He picked up the shindanjuu, watching Zazie struggle like a fish in a net, and held it towards the gaichuu, hands trembling helplessly.

"Shoot, you fucking idiot!" Zazie screamed from where he was, and that sent the Doctor panicking. He aimed it in several parts of the creature, trying to remember where the weak spot was, and what type of gaichuu it was. He didn't know much about those. Was this a Tequila Sunrise? A Cabernet? _Hold on, that's not it..._ Thunderland floundered about helplessly, and glanced at the dying boy. His eyes were clouding over, which wasn't very helpful. He spotted Wasiolka back on the gaichuu, standing on its head and pawing it restlessly. Then she leapt towards Zazie, but was knocked aside again. The Doctor took aim at the insect's open mouth, prayed that this feeble attempt would work, and fired.

"D'you know what it feels like to have a gaichuu eat your soul?" Zazie would relate later, and then add on, "It sucks. No pun intended," before leaning back on his chair and staring into the distance like an old war veteran.

His energy had been the first to go, and while it was being taken he struggled as best as he could, but he could feel himself get more and more exhausted from every strain of his muscles, and he could feel his sttrength drain out of the tips of his fingers while a cold emptiness took up the space, until he was left feeling very dog-tired. His memories were next, and they had seemed to be locked up away in the back of his mind as little bite-sized bits of soul, ready to be converted into gaichuu food. Very soon, Zazie forgot what the hell he was doing and where the hell he was. He did know, however, that he was really fucking tired, and that he should just go take a nap.

A muffled voice echoed in the back of his head, screaming about shooting and an idiot. _Shoot what? __**What? **_He couldn't move. Not that he wanted to, anyway, so that was perfectly fine. Zazie tilted his head and looked down at a somewhat familiar, tiny little creature below him. It was brandishing a puny little gun, and Zazie would have laughed if he weren't so tired. He wanted to take a nap, but a sudden small voice told him to _keep yer bloody eyes open ya hear me_. Zazie then engaged in a (draining) mental debate with the Voice about taking a nap ("Why not?" _"Do as I say you stupid fool."_) while wondering if he was going mad. Before he could assure himself that he was, in fact, _not_ completely and utterly crazy and that the Voice was just being stupid, Zazie was cut free from his binds with a shimmering sound, and he fell.

The gaichuu burst open, streams of light emitting from its body. Thunderland saw Zazie fall like a rock, and he ran towards the boy, miraculously avoiding any sinkholes. He managed to make a dive for his body, preventing it from hitting the sand. Grains of sand got in his eyes and mouth, and after he spat and rubbed it out Wasiolka was by his side, her fur matted with coagulated blood and grimy with sand. She began to lick the boy over, cleaning off any visible trace of sand or blood. Thunderland put the gun back where it was and checked for Zazie's pulse. He was barely alive, and needed to go for heart replenishing as soon as he could.

A wave of relief washed over Thunderland though his heart still hadn't stopped racing from the terrifying encounter, and he reached into his bag and drew out some bandages and water. He poured some over Wasiolka's wounds to wash out the unclean blood and sand and wrapped hers and Zazie's wounds with the bandages in an unexpected calm. At least his medical experience was of use then. They weren't made for animals, but they would hold until they got back to the nearest town, or at least until he got to contact Jiggy. Thunderland hoisted the boy up onto his shoulders, wincing from the slight strain on his back (he didn't exercise all that much), and with Wasiolka leading him, they began to wander to the edge of the never-ending desert.

* * *

**Actually I know next to nothing about Gaichuu species so I took stuff I could remember from the show and made a hybrid, non-existent species of metal bug. Also, did you know that the names of Gaichuu were taken after alcoholic drinks, and that Zazie is allergic to insects?**


	21. New Year

**It's Chinese New Year, so this counts. :T**

* * *

New Year

_8th bell_

Thunderland woke to a steaming mug of coffee and an egg sandwich on his bedside table. His house seemed surprisingly warmer that morning as well. That was odd since the fire in his fireplace always seemed to go out in the middle of the night. He shifted around in his bed, the cotton sheets cool on his skin. He turned to the side only to see the "sleeping" boy quirk his lips in a coy smile. Thunderland huffed, an expression of amusement on his face.

"I know you're awake."

"Damnit."

_13th bell_

Lunch was an experimental curry mix, kindly prepared by Thunderland. His culinary skills were nothing to boast about unless you were talking about really bad food, but he had forcefully badgered Zazie to eat it unless he wanted to be dissected there and then. The smell coming from the kitchen made Zazie's eyes water and tickled his nose. Zazie massaged his forehead to ease the headache he got from the smell _alone_, and wondered if it was better for him to be cut up after all.

_18th bell _

Thunderland was a self-proclaimed workaholic, and despite the fact that it was New Year's Eve he couldn't help but want to fit in a good hour or so of anatomical studies before Zazie began to pester him about joining him in Empress-knows-what. He had already settled into his usual stool and was rifling through the research papers strewn on his desk when he felt a pair of arms around his waist, a kiss on his neck and an all too familiar voice in his ear.

"Put that down and come play with me instead."

He hadn't thought that it was that easy to leave work alone.

_24th bell_

They were sitting on the carpet and listening to the radio when the bells were struck, the sounds ringing out through Central Yuusari, announcing the new year's arrival. Zazie broke out in grins and gave Thunderland a high five. "I can't believe I've survived this whole year without dying. Man, the number of times I've almost been killed by gaichuu and by _you_..."

"And the number of times I've almost been fired by the Board for unorthodox research methods..." Thunderland added, sighing with great heartache. Zazie glared at him out of the corner of his eye. Thunderland raised a brow and asked, "What?"

The bells chimed for the 15th time and Zazie wrung his hands, then wrapped his arms around his legs. "Y'know, the tradition is..." Thunderland only let out a short sigh.

"The one where you stay up as long as you can so that you have a long life?"

"Not that." Zazie leant back against the couch. _20, 21, 22..._ Zazie counted the bell chimes in his head, and felt a selfish disappointment slowly wash over him. One more chime echoed, mocking him, and as the second began to ring out he began to feel a bit dejected despite Thunderland's presence beside him. _Stop being stupid_, he told himself.

Zazie had only just sighed tiredly when a rough palm brushed against his cheek, gently guiding it around until his lips met with those of the older man. Zazie smiled into the kiss, his heartbeat accelerating and the sweetest of sensations bubbling deep in his chest. Their lips parted and Thunderland held Zazie's head so that their foreheads touched.

"Not too late, I hope?" Thunderland asked, his voice saturated with affection and his eyes showing only the hint of a smile. He hauled Zazie up by the arm, and then swung him round and round till his head tipped back and his shoulders shook in laughter.

* * *

**The last one was so cheesy it gave me a neckache. Ow...**

**Anywho. Happy New Year, guys! :))**


	22. Little Words

**This is a series of even smaller drabbles, because I have too many stray ideas that I can't string into full-length stories floating around in my headspace. I'll keep these nice and short.****  
**

* * *

Balloons  
"I'm gonna buy a ton of balloons someday," Zazie proclaimed, grinning.

"Are you?" Thunderland leant back from the microscope and blinked a few times, his eyes dry.

"Yeah. I'm gonna go onto your balcony and let them off at once. It's gonna be amazing."

"Colourful too, I'd imagine."

"You've no idea! They're all gonna be cat-shaped, and red and yellow..."

Zazie unveiled his master plan, gesturing excitedly as he did so. His words, however, were lost on Thunderland's ears, who couldn't see anything past Zazie's eyes and his toothy smile - both of which filled to the brim with colours unrivaled by any balloon.

* * *

Glib  
"You're incompetent."

"Am not!"

"You are. Like that last time. You kept saying some shit about my arm having a 'flesh wound' - hello - it hurt, okay?"

"It's your fault for running about everywhere."

"I'm only doing my duty..."

"You go off roads just to kill gaichuu. You aren't supposed to do that."

"I do what I want. A-anyway, what about you? All you do is stay indoors."

"And find cures to rid the world of diseases. And you? Killing gaichuu just because you 'want to', and then getting hurt while you do that. I think we know who the incompetent one here is."

"You-!"

"Heh."

* * *

Hands and a Voice (somewhat NSFW? Idk not really)  
It isn't as if Zazie hasn't held Thunderland's hands or heard him talk before, he reasons, and he knows that Thunderland wouldn't agree to it - not now, at least - but sometimes when he lies awake in bed during the middle of the night, Zazie can't help but wonder what those hands would feel like when they're digging into his hips or pulling at his hair.

He occasionally imagines Thunderland's voice: strained, heated and low, whispering filth into Zazie's ears. Zazie's thoughts wander further and he tenses involuntarily, fingers curling, a warmth rushing up from his abdomen to his ears.

* * *

Cat  
"I miss them," Zazie sighed and leant against the foot of the sofa, his paperwork spread out on the low table before him.

"Who?" Thunderland sat on the floor to Zazie's right.

"The cats at home. I wonder how they're doing. I want a cat..." Zazie spoke, his eyes following the ceiling fan as it spun lazily in an anti-clockwise motion.

"I'm sure they're fine," Thunderland said. "Don't you have Wasiolka?"

"She's too big." Wasiolka growled at Zazie's comment, got up from the floor and left the room with a flick of her tail.

A silence fell upon the two and Thunderland was reduced to glancing at Zazie out of the corner of his eye. Eventually Thunderland lay down on the floor with a resigned sigh, his face to the table but his head in Zazie's lap.

"Meow," Thunderland spoke in a gruff, droll voice. "I'll be your cat. I'm better than all of them. Meow."

Thunderland shut his eyes, wondering what had compelled him to do such an immature thing, but his lips still twisted into a smile when fingers wove their way into strands of his hair and purring noises were heard from the sitting boy above.

"Meow?"

"Meow."

* * *

**We will now return to your regular scheduled programming. (I'm sorry it's taking so damn long crey)**


	23. Arguing

**Zazie gets hurt, Lag is concerned, Thunderland gets panicky, and the author can't write angst nor portray character dynamics to save her life.**

**Bree: Once again, thanks for the encouragement! And sorry for being gone so long crey**

* * *

Arguing**  
**

Zazie was sitting up in a bed in one of the Hive's wards. He'd been travelling on a mountain ridge when he lost his footing and fell, fracturing his right arm and a leg in the process. Wasiolka, thankfully, was there to break his fall, though she dislocated a few of her joints in the process.

Lag was at Zazie's bedside, talking to him about safety and Wasiolka's condition. Niche stood behind Lag, echoing every word Lag stressed in his speech. He had brought soup for Zazie to drink, but the latter had been putting that chore off for about an hour already, saying that he wasn't hungry. He only hoped his growling stomach wasn't heard. Having Lag around served as good company, and although Connor was away on a delivery he still expressed his concerns, which Lag didn't fail to emphasize.

"Everyone was really worried about you!" The albino exclaimed exasperatedly. "You're always getting into these sorts of things..."

"It's no big deal," Zazie grinned in spite of himself. "At least I get a few days offa' work!"

"It's not funny, Zazie!" Lag leant over the handrails of the bed.

"Not funny!" Niche echoed, standing at attention, and Steak made hurried squeaking sounds.

"You should've seen the Doctor," Lag began. A flash of worry and apprehension ghosted over Zazie's expression briefly, but he tossed his head back, and shrugged his left shoulder. "He looked awful!" Lag continued. "He was worried that–"

The door to the ward swung open to reveal no one other than the Doctor himself, and Zazie gulped as the man stormed over to his bed, face darkened in anger. Zazie braced himself for an onslaught of harsh insults, and indeed, the first words that Thunderland spat out were: "You idiot!"

Zazie winced, and Thunderland took it as an opportunity to continue. "How many times've I – no – everyone told you about taking care of yourself?! You think you're some hot shit, going around like that without a care in the world – even Wasiolka's injured because of your irresponsibility!"

Zazie opened his mouth to retort, but Thunderland pushed on, completely forgetting Lag's presence, "What if Wasiolka hadn't made it in time? You could've broken your neck if not for her! And you're still sitting here, careless as ever – don't you know how I–" Thunderland stopped, catching himself. Lag just stared at them, wanting to hear his next words.

The idea of the two of them being friends was still a rather absurd concept to Lag (they didn't get along at all!), and although Lag was a bit glad for Zazie either way, he still found the age gap between them a little, if not very, odd. Even for friends. But he reasoned, if he could be friends with Gauche despite their age, then why not Zazie with Dr Thunderland Jr? Lag, frightened into muteness, continued to observe the two. He was especially terrified of the Doctor. The way he glared at Zazie out of his left eye wasn't exactly the most pleasing way to look at someone.

"But, y'see, I _didn't_ break my neck," Zazie began nervously, because he knew how voilatile Thunderland could be, and continued, trying to ease up the atmosphere in the room, "It's just a flesh wound. Like before, but this one doesn't hurt– ow!" Thunderland had crossed over to Zazie's right and had gripped his arm tightly in his hand.

"You look at me and tell me that that don't hurt," Thunderland glowered, and released Zazie's arm, his patience wearing thin.

"What're you doing? If you press it, of course it's going to hurt. I'm fine, I told you, I'll be fine!"

"Fine? Look, if you're not going to stop playing hero and quit chasing after big fat _bugs_–"

"I wasn't chasing any of them!"

"Don't even try lying to me - you and I both know better than that, Zazie."

"Fine, Empress, but won't you just stop being so damn _fussy_ about everything–"

"Fussy?! You nearly break your neck falling off a bloody cliff and I worry, me being– well, you know, and you're calling me _fussy_?!" Thunderland roared and raised an arm, as if about to hit the boy. This attracted the unfortunate attention of a few other patients and Thunderland put his arm down, catching himself. "Fine then, if you aren't going to take me seriously, then by all means, you can go find someone else to baby you!" And with that, a fuming Doctor strode out of the ward, slamming the door behind him furiously.

The resounding slam of the door echoed throughout the ward, and Zazie could feel the hot stares of the few other Bees in the same ward as him. He slunk under the blankets until the stares dropped, not quite sure if he should be feeling sorry for himself.

"He was like that when they got you to him, you know," Lag began softly after a while of almost-silence. "You should go apologise," he added quietly, clearly shocked. Zazie remained indignant, and clicked his tongue.

"Well, he didn't have to go all Drama Queen on me," Zazie grumbled.

Lag sighed exasperatedly. Zazie's pride always had a tendency to skyrocket at the wrong times, and this was a perfect example of that. "You made him real mad, though. And you did cross the line with that," Lag tried his best to reason. "Friends don't make each other worry."

"Zazie should say sorry! Lick Nasty Doctor's hurt!" Niche declared suddenly, her clear voice slicing through the quiet and her eyes filled with affirmation. Steak made more squeaking noises that sounded something like an agreement. Zazie's gaze dropped.

"I ain't gonna say that," Zazie muttered. "This happens a lot, too. It ain't new..." Even so, he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty about putting the Doctor in such a state. A terrible pit began to open in his stomach, and Zazie gulped.

His overwhelming unease must've been visible to Lag, for he then consoled Zazie, "Try tomorrow. He's just angry now, maybe he'll listen when he's calmed down?"

"Tsk." Lag sighed again at that reply. Clearly Zazie's pride was, once again, getting in the way of his common sense. And his speech.

"He's your doctor, so he needs to do checks on you, right? Apologise then," Lag persisted. "I gotta get back to Sylvette. It's getting late. Bye! And don't forget."

Zazie nodded curtly and bade him goodbye, after which he slunk under the thin covers of the firm hospital bed. It barely warmed him, and his leg started to ache. Zazie grimaced, and closed his eyes.

_There ain't no way I'm doing any of that..._

* * *

**I wrote like half of this while I was half asleep ok im sorry if it isn't up to par it probably isn't**

**I'm thinking of rewatching the series. I haven't seen it in a year or two and I forgot how everyone acts around each other which sucks because I'm scared that I'm portraying them way off the mark. I also want to see the pretty art and fangirl over Roda again hhahahaha but I have no time nowadays to watch things... :(**

**Big Fat Headcanon time: These two get into tiny squabbles all the time, so Zazie thinks that as long as he treats it as a joke, Thunderland will too. But the Doctor is a very protective sort of guy, therefore Zazie's intentions end up backfiring.**

**This'll be further continued in the next chapter which will probably come in forever again thanks to school and life issues... But till then, I suppose!**


	24. Making Up

**Continued from Arguing.**

* * *

Making Up

Three days had passed since the pair had fought, and Zazie still hadn't been humbled enough to bring himself to apologize. As for the Doctor, he hadn't checked up on the boy since three days ago though Lag had come in his place, and seemed to have left all Zazie-related duties to the nurses of the ward, for they were the ones who came into the ward, serving him food, taking his blood pressure, feeding him painkillers... Just at that moment, a brown-haired nurse with a mild, demure disposition was changing Zazie's bandages around his waist, removing the old ones with the delicate skill of a lady but tightening the new ones around him with the strength of a man. Zazie only grew more annoyed at Thunderland's disappearance with every tight construction around his waist – _it's his fault I'm here!_ – And after a few tight squeezes, choked out, "Oi, give me a break!"

The nurse relented, hands flying immediately to her lap as she stood straight (and Zazie found that she was indeed very pretty) and asked, "Is there something you need?"

"I think you might be hurting him," Lag spoke, for he had been catching Zazie's pained expressions all this while.

Zazie's mouth dropped open and he exclaimed a bit too loudly, eyebrows furrowed, "Was not!"

The nurse smiled (which made her look even prettier) and said, "I'm sorry, but they have to be tight to make sure nothing goes out of place. There's nothing I can do about it; that's what the Doctor requested after all-"

"Get 'im 'ere," Zazie grumbled. _That asshole's making me suffer even after I'm busted!_ "A-and it didn't hurt! Swear."

"I'm sorry," the nurse began, her placid smile leaving her lips and a slight frown forming in its place, "He asked that all duties were to be carried out by—"

"Just bring 'im here. He's supposed to be taking care of me, right?" Zazie asked candidly. "I'm gonna kick his ass," he added under his breath.

"Zazie, I don't think it's a good idea..." Lag murmured, but Zazie only persisted further, and finally the nurse lost the battle of wills, and reluctantly left the ward to go fetch Thunderland. As the door opened Niche's could be heard from inside pleading to be let in (the head nurse had chased her out for being too noisy).

"He's still mad at you!" Lag clutched the arm rest of Zazie's bed.

"Jeez, who cares? That guy is making me suffer in here! I haven't even gotten to see Wasiolka yet. Not for three days!" Zazie retorted, swallowing the small seedling of guilt he felt whenever "that guy" was brought up. _"Go find someone else to baby you!"_ Zazie repeated those words in his head for the umpteenth time, and suppressed a shudder. Thunderland was at fault for saying such shit. No way was he—

The door swung open and Thunderland entered, looking oddly frazzled and worn-out. The nurse from before followed after, but was pulled outside by a distressed Niche.

"Stay outside, Niche!" Lag stood from his seat and called towards the door. "I hope she can hear me – oh, um. Sorry," Lag sat back down, intimidated by the Doctor's sharp glare

"What d'you want?" Thunderland asked, tired and sullen.

Zazie, surprisingly, felt shocked. Perhaps it was because he hadn't seen that face in so long, or maybe because Thunderland looked so unwilling to even be in the same room as him, but either way Zazie had sat upright in his bed with his mouth gaping open, not even registering Lag's subtle nudges as he tried to get Zazie to say something – anything.

"Ha!" Zazie barked, and Lag swore that he could have smacked him there and then for his utter lack of social skills.

Thunderland yawned. "What...?" _More late nights?_ Zazie frowned. He'd always tell Thunderland not to spend so little time asleep, and without him there the man tended to go overboard, sometimes getting as little as no sleep in two nights. Thunderland yawned again, and Zazie finally found his tongue.

"You... Your nurses are too rough with me!"

"What does that have anything to do with me...? You've been through worse, haven't you? Suck it up, kid."

"Kid?! Why, you..."

Zazie's voice faded to incessant white noise in Thunderland's ears; he was having a bad migraine that came from not enough rest, and although Zazie had reminded him countless times to go to bed he'd still been staying up lately, in a childish gesture of _you're not here so I can do what I want!_ Thunderland's head pounded and he rubbed the base of his palm into his left temple, reluctant to see or hear the boy, especially since he was still bitter over Zazie's ridiculous pride. He barely missed Lag's hushed voice telling Zazie to cool his head and apologize. _That's not going to work_, Thunderland thought. _He has to do it himself._

"That's enough, don't you think?" Thunderland finally interjected. "You're being so noisy. What was your point in calling me anyway? If it's just to find an excuse to talk to me, then I won't care for it," he grumbled, and backed away towards the door.

Zazie wanted to call out, but his tongue was stuck in his throat, as if numbed by a potent anaesthesia he hadn't remembered taking. Zazie didn't understand what the problem was – all he'd done was to mask his guilt with words like piercing daggers, to coat what he meant with iron-plated armour; but surely Thunderland knew what he meant! They were alike in that sense as well, after all. _But if not now, then when?_ The thought stuck, and panic overtook pride as Zazie realised that that was his one and only chance to _maybe_ win the Doctor back, and Zazie felt oddly detached from reality as he shouted out, "Wait!", clutching the sheets with his good hand and leaning forward as much as his casts would let him.

Thunderland stopped and stared, his hand resting on the handle of the already open door, exhaustion and irritation apparent on his face.

And Zazie felt like he was being hauled back into his body from outer space as the gravity of the situation hit him like a brick. The round of his neck trembled as if he were about to cry (he wasn't, though) and for a moment his words were lodged in his throat, until eventually, Zazie blurted out, thoroughly shame-faced, "I-I'm sorry."

The word hadn't been used in a long time, and the syllables came out a little too choppy, but it was apparent that Lag was happy about it, for a smile of pride shone on his lips as he looked at Zazie, who, in turn, was looking at the suddenly very intriguing sheets.

"Okay," Thunderland shrugged, and swung the door closed. _Finally_, he thought, and he had to try his hardest to stop himself from smiling brightly as a wave of relief swamped over him, as though a great battle between him and an unknown being had come to a finish.

"'Okay'? That's it?" Zazie jerked his head up, simply astonished. _Surely there's more?!_

"Yeah," Thunderland glared at him half-heartedly, and sighed, crossing over to the bedside. "That wasn't too hard, was it?"

"Yeah, you finally did it, Zazie!" Lag added, and Zazie wasn't sure whether to smile in appreciation or hit them both because that was _really very __**hard**_.

But Zazie felt a chill up his spine as Thunderland took hold of the bandages that still needed wrapping and wound them around his waist; gloved hands dangerously close to Zazie's skin and white coat sleeves brushing against his back every so often, and Zazie had a subconscious thought (_holy shit wow I missed this!_) and decided that maybe two heavy words were more than an equal exchange for winning Thunderland back.

That is, until Thunderland gave a cruel, hard pull, and the bandages tightened themselves around Zazie so much he thought his insides were going to burst. Zazie shouted at him and Thunderland laughed playfully while Lag felt oddly like a third wheel (_Why?_ Lag asked himself), but Zazie knew that they were fixed, and it was still worth it anyway.

* * *

**It's not like you have an astounding amount of social skill either, Lag... Either way, look out for the next two chapters! Those are going to be written in the 1st perspective, and they're more special... I guess...? Idk I enjoyed writing them so**

**Also guess what I found out Zazie's surname is apparently Winters I am so confused and so ashamed OTL goodbye world (what is his real surname though omg so so so confused)****  
****(Telling me Thunderland's real first name's good too)**


	25. Tegami

**Bree: But can you imagine them crossing their legs when sitting and not being jerks to everyone (Zazie) and not crying all the time (Lag) and actually talking to people properly (Thunderland - the worst out of all of them) but yeah they badly need classes on that.**

**Agh now I feel 20000x stupider ok thank you for informing me and kindly let me ram my head into a pillar (and of course, thank you again for the compliment!)**

**This is a collection of letters Zazie writes back when he's away on long-distance, multiple-night deliveries. Bc I want to try writing in first person for a bit, heehee. Also Thunderland's version is in the chapter after this.****  
**

**Edit: I'm still going to use Shrine anyway. Reasons for doing so in the next chapter's A/N~**

* * *

Tegami

_Year XXXX, 56th Day_

Dear Thunderland (Jr),

I'm writing from a tiny mountain village around the outside of Yuusari. Guess what I'm delivering this time, will ya?

Pigs. I'm delivering pigs now, baby. I don't even understand how I ended up with such a shit delivery - the stupid thing keeps trying to eat my hat (and the other thing I got for you but that's a surprise for later. Patience.) I feel so much like Gauche – he delivered Lag right? I'm delivering pigs. Not much difference there.

I really don't know what's up with the pig. I don't even know what it's for. Stupid shit thing argh can I deliver it to you instead with this letter you can use it for science or whatever other weird stuff you do. It's really irritating! **[At this point he doodled a frowny face]****  
**  
Oh yeah, and last night I dreamt that when I got back Lag had some sort of Steak hat thing. It was so weird. Niche didn't even show up at all, and Steak was just on his head the whole time. And then when we were eating dinner at his place as usual you came through the door and hugged me (ahem) and then I woke up with pig butt in my face.

I think I am away from home for too long.  
Stupid pig. Wasiolka doesn't like it either, you know.

I don't have much more to say, but today I managed to kill only 2 gaichuu. Definitely not my best.

You need to get a haircut,  
_Zazie Shrine__  
_  
P.S. If you think I am going to put hearts at the end or put "xoxo" you are mistaken. I just wanted to say that.

* * *

_Year XXXX, 88th Day_

Dear Roy,

I should try calling you by your name more often. It's oddly foreign to me. And yes you definitely should be grateful that I wrote your name here I can almost see your damn face already stop smiling darn it.

Ah, this time I'm writing in the train carriage. I'm delivering normal things this time, more letters and packages. I'm on my way to Blue Notes Blues – it's this icy place somewhere. I heard the Maka and its daughter live there, but I'm pretty positive it's bull.

It's getting way cold up here; my hands are freezing. While you're holed up in that lab of yours (don't miss me too much) all nice and warm and surrounded by animal guts. I miss that place. Nowadays I find that I miss home a lot when I'm delivering things, but at least I have Wasiolka with me...

I wish you could write back sometimes. Then it wouldn't sound like me talking to a wall. Dr Wall Thunderland. Ha.

I haven't seen any gaichuu yet, but I hope I'll be able to catch some later. This cold is really getting to my mood. I don't ever want to get off the train, it's so cold outside...

Yours gloomily,  
_Zazie Shrine__  
_

* * *

_Year XXXX, 93rd Day_

Dear Roy,

I can't believe I'm being sent on so many damn long distance deliveries all the time. Geez, you'd think a man would get some rest...

Anyways, how are you doing lately? Uncovered any groundbreaking news? I ran into a friend this morning (please don't get crazy jealous please do not I know how you are about these things) and she told me that apparently you made the papers here. I went ahead to read it and saw that there wasn't an interview inside – it was just a simple write-up. But I still bought an issue and cut it up so that you could see your article. It should be in this envelope, if it hasn't dropped out somehow. You look pretty crap in photos, though. Much better in person, if I say so myself.

Oh yes, I'm lodging at a farmer's house for the night, and I'm leaving for home tomorrow. This place is a bit ratty, but in a nice way. I quite like it here. There are foxes sometimes; I saw one today already. Incidentally I was delivering fox traps to him. Such cruelty to animals is a disgrace. Like a certain doctor I know. I wonder who he could be. Hmm...

But yeah, I'm returning sometime next week, so if you've missed my face (I bet you have; you can't live without me, can you? Hah!) I'll be back soon. Just hold out for a little longer!

Good job making the papers,  
_Zazie Shrine__  
_  
P.S. If you miss me too much you can just kiss the letter.

P.P.S. Sorry for being away all the time.

* * *

_Year XXXX, 147th Day_

Dear Roy,

I almost got killed today. I was on the train and then there was one of these Reverse attacks that have been popping up everywhere recently and they hit the train I was on, cutting it open and getting inside to mug people. Noir wasn't there, though; none of the people there were even Spirits. Either way, it seems that their influence spreads pretty wide.

Anyway, they got in, guns a-blazing and all, and we were locked up in one of the carriages as hostages or some shit. I tried gunning them to let us go but I kind of got hit on the head. What else do you want me to do, though? There were people on that train. I had to do something, y'know? I don't think I should keep this from you though you're probably going to go ballistic when I get back, because I think I was just doing what I should've.

Anyhow, I'm sitting in a hospital bed now – I'm getting my head checked up but they say I should be fine. But I'll still be a bit late getting back, sorry.

I'm a bit worried about the whole Reverse thing. They're appearing in the papers, in the radio broadcasts – I think they're going to be more than just another petty union. But of course, right, since they have human mutants and all in there. I hope it won't get too big, though that's pretty impossible since Gauche (Noir? Identity crisis, more like) is involved, which will get Lag involved, and since the Government is already involved and Lag has a tendency to get a thousand more people involved in his issues I foresee that shit will hit the fan soon. I hope I don't get hijacked again on my way back – I still have to deliver these letters though. What a downer.

And you too, stay safe back there. Don't get killed. I'll be back soon (hopefully), so please don't die before then. Or after then, either. Sorry for getting you all worried and shit, but I'm really fine! Promise!

I want to see your stupid face,  
_Zazie Shrine__  
_

* * *

_Year XXXX, 300th Day_

Dear Roy,

I'm so mad right now alright I just got pickpocketed by some fucking asshole when I was in the market buying your stuff! So the jerk took my wallet and made off WITHOUT ME KNOWING and now all I have left is my extra stash of cash! This is absolutely ridiculous I am so pissed. IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT. IF I DIDN'T HAVE TO BUY YOUR THING I WOULDN'T HAVE GONE TO THE MARKET AND I WOULDN'T HAVE LOST ALL MY MONEY.

I'm so mad URGH I'M SO BROKE NOW I FEEL THE POOR SEEPING THROUGH MY SKIN EMPRESS I SWEAR HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SURVIVE LIKE THIS?!

IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT.

YOU'RE A SHIT AND I HATE YOU,  
_Zazie Shrine__  
_  
P.S. YOU BETTER FUCKING APPRECIATE THE THING I GOT YOU BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T I SWEAR I WILL BREAK YOUR NECK AND SNEEZE ALL OVER YOUR LAB AND CONTAMINATE IT TO A POINT BEYOND SALVATION.**  
**

* * *

**Prepare yourselves for a really long author note bc I am excited about new things I found: **

I did a search because I was quite surprised to see that most, if not all gauchuu have alcoholic drink-inspired names and I wondered if they had other aspects like that, and also because the names of some of the Bees' shindanjuu sounded quite familiar.

So eventually I found out that the names of shindanjuu were inspired by piano pieces/movements! -legasp-Lag's Nocturne No. 13 is a solo piano piece composed by Chopin, Noir's Gymnopedie is a set of 3 solo piano pieces composed by the French pianist/composer Erik Satie, and Zazie's Tempest 3rd Movement is the 3rd movement of Beethoven's piano Sonata no. 17. I was thinking if maybe there was a significance to how the pieces sounded versus the characters' personalities/fighting style.

It fits for Noir, bc the Gymnopedie(s) are, according to Wiki (hail Wiki), supposed to be performed by playing it "painfully", "sadly" or "gravely". And they do have a melancholy tone to them, or one that suggests loneliness/solitude/coldness/sadness, especially in Gymnopedie no. 2. And it fits Noir, right, since he's lost his memory and is quite the loner (along with other personality traits that I cannot remember) and he has had pretty painful run-ins with the government (maybe this doesn't count bc he was only led to believe it in Reverse but idk) and his sister's legs and his mum and the Artificial Suns and all.

Zazie's fits his too, because it's got many powerful running notes, especially in the lower octaves/notes, which pack a lot of power into the piece along with the contrast between the lighter and darker tones of the piece, which fits Zazie bc he has a lot of angst, and internal turmoil/grudges/whatever. (Shards of malice? I think so.) Not to mention he's a p aggressive guy, as well, which fit the low note-banging. So yeah, aggro guy = loud, relatively thunderous piece.

Lag's one is the one I have the most trouble with, since his character is one I have little/less grasp on. I've heard the Nocturne, and it has a bit of notes in the minor key, which puzzles me bc Lag isn't usually that pessimistic? Although it could refer to how he cries a lot, or how it was Gauche's shindanjuu first. There are a few major notes/chords there among the minor ones, and that could maybe rep his hope in times of adversity? Like his dream of bringing Gauche back/turning Noir back into Gauche. But still, I'm not so sure about that.

I'll stop now before I turn this A/N into a full-blown essay (too f-ing late), but I'm just wondering what Aria's shindanjuu is called, since it's a violin an' all. Aaah I hope y'all weren't too bored with all that hhahahaha ok bye

**(not bolded bc bold is so painful to read when there's so many of them bolded letters)**


	26. Tegami 2

**Bree: Zazie is a huge jerk, so… ;) And your wish is now granted.  
GlowGlowBat: /cradles head in hands/ Alright, thanks for clearing that up. Since that's the case (thank god this fiasco is over OTL) I'll just use Shrine bc consistency and also bc I prefer the way it sounds. Thanks so much for clearing this up aaahahah (now I will go stab myself in the stomach)  
Mrs. Jayy: I'm not sure if you've seen my reply to you about your request, but if you have could you please reply me orz I can't get started until I'm sure there's nothing in particular that you want…..**

**This is Thunderland Jr's version of the letter writing thing. These were written during his occasional trips out of town to find herbs/get medicine. This is also an excuse for me to get in touch with his character a bit more bc I think I need to further expand on it. He's a tough one.****  
**

* * *

Tegami 2.0

_Year XXXY, 67th Day_

Dear Zazie,

I'm writing to a Letter Bee. Oh, the irony! Besides that, I also hope that my writing style isn't too inappropriate for you; I often have people proofread my letters to the Board for my writing style is, apparently, too eccentric for their tastes. I do think, though, that they just have sticks up their asses, as you call it. Then again, I'm not exactly writing to the Board this time. I'm writing to you, a Letter Bee. Hahaha

Besides that, I've found myself in a small town near the Bifrost gate, Yuusari-Yodaka side, and recently I've been gathering nettle leaves for a new sort of anaesthesia I'm trying out. I got stung quite a bit though, so my handwriting might be a bit illegible. It still hurts. The countryside here is nice though, and it feels good to get away from the bustling city once in a while. I wish you could be here to see it. I think Wasiolka would enjoy the air, but not the nettles.

I was in the market just now, buying more ingredients for my anaesthesia when I saw a tacky kitten tail key ring decoration. It looked rather matted and I though you wouldn't care for such things I mean you would shout at me about the maltreatment of cats. Have you ever thought that it could be synthetic fur?

I don't seem to have anything more to write to you but please don't destroy the lab and I hope that you are getting comfortable back in your old apartment while I'm gone. Don't forget to feed the cats too

Love,  
_Roy Thunderland_

* * *

_Year XXXY, 91st Day_

Dear Zazie,

How are you? I'm writing from my tiny camp in the wilderness just beside Blue Notes Blues. I'm sure you remember, I'm here because of the news that a flock of migratory geese have collapsed on their way to Yodaka. I've gotten about three of them for studies, and I can't wait to get back to start working on them. They seem somehow malnourished, though it could just be abnormally rapid effects of decomposition. I apologize, but you might have to deal with me bringing back dead geese.

Besides that the weather here is awfully cold, and I might have almost gotten frostbite. But I've managed to get a lamp up and going, so it isn't so bad now. At least I don't have to go on these expeditions often, unlike your long-distance deliveries. Do you see Jiggy Pepper sometimes, by chance? But if I'm not wrong he usually takes the Hart Desert routes, and so do you, **incidentally**. You have to stop going there. However, I have to admit that I do want to see the Hart for myself. Maybe if a bunch of sand snakes turn up dead I might get to go.

I shall be going home tomorrow. I need to drive back to the main town of Blue Notes Blues, pay for the rented Iron Horse (it's awful expensive) and then I will take the train back. If I'm lucky I won't be accosted along the way, and the smell won't be too bad...

Now that I think of it, it's unbelievably desolate here. I wish you could have come, though you might not take the cold very well. At least I have the geese for company... Somewhat...

Love,  
_Roy Thunderland_

* * *

_Year XXXY, 296th Day_

Dear Zazie,

Today I am writing from the small motel in another one of Yuusari's many bustling cities. This time I shall be blunt and say that I feel very alone, despite the many people that surround me. Their eyes don't seem to register me, it seems. It's a wonder that I feel like this although I know not one of the people walking on the streets now. This feeling doesn't hit me often either, but when it does it causes me to feel incredibly sad

Letters do help me to ease the homesickness, and so today I will be writing to you so that I may be able to better imagine your figure here beside me. However I am not good at flowery words nor such letters of courtship **[it was at this point where Zazie turned bright red while reading]** and I do not want to seem too dependent on you. Still, I will attempt to serenade you in a manner cheesier than that of the dramas we listen to on the radio. I am probably going to laugh my socks off writing this, and I hope you enjoy me making such a fool out of myself.

When I look into your eyes I feel as though I am lost at sea – a sea of fire. You are far too intense for someone like me, and yet I cannot seem to tear myself away. I often find myself turning my head towards the door in my lab every time I hear something. Usually it isn't you, but when you do come in, your voice when you say hello is unmistakable. The happiness in mine is probably unmistakable too – I wonder if you knew even before we became what we are?

I want to thank you for adding something into my life that I never knew I missed. I enjoy your jokes although I may not laugh at them all the time. You are the only one that can make my pulse rate increase in such a short amount of time and my neck constrict like that without completely suffocating me. I am in love with virtually every bit of you, from the sound of your laugh to the way you kiss me - though I still wish you would take better care of yourself. This may seem shallow and very unlike me, but I find you absolutely endearing.

You are also, in a way, braver than I am; you can face the likes of metal insects twenty times your height without blinking while I can only stand there, mouth agape. You dare to do the things I never dared to do as a child; the danger in your eyes and your risk-taking nature enchant me to no end. More often than not I wish I was younger, so that I may be able to understand you better, for you do not always say what you mean but I wish you did then again I am no master of words myself

However over the time we have spent together I have learnt to read you better, and I think that's good enough but sometimes I dream of a longer time together, and although I know that it will be a hard-to-achieve reality I still bask in that thought because

I cant bring myself to write it because it may not be what you want

I am also thanking you for being one of the only people who are not afraid of me. It might not seem like a big thing, but it is. Sometimes I wonder if I'm giving back as much as you are giving to me; tell me if I'm not, and I will try harder.

Time spent with you is more enjoyable than time spent with other people. Even if we aren't talking or squabbling and it's just you watching me work or me watching you with Wasiolka, these moments are especially precious.

I'm getting too carried away here, aren't I? I've also forgotten the drama aspect of it, somehow. (Oh Zazie, I would give you the moon and the stars if only you asked!) Still, I find that it didn't really help me all that much. I just miss you a lot more now. This sounds so juvenile but I want to go home. However the talk I am giving is only tomorrow and the programme itself lasts for a full three days. I really want to return home

Hopefully this horrible feeling will go away tomorrow

Love,  
_Roy Thunderland__  
_

* * *

**What a bloody romantic. (I'm suffocating euuhhhgfjfjfgggh -chokes-)**

**Big Fat Headcanon time: Thunderland writes very weirdly. Sometimes he forgets about punctuation, esp when agitated. He's a rather odd man in general and his (completely headcanonical) way of writing and his dead jokes give me second-hand embarrassment.**


	27. Nightmare

**In which Zazie has night terrors.**

**Edit (14/6/13): I've changed some phrasing of the words here, but the general meaning is still the same.****  
**

* * *

Nightmare

Zazie fought in darkness, in the sandy prison that was the Hart Desert. There was a gaichuu, one that did not look like any he had seen before. It was like a great Rhinoceros Beetle, with an ugly horn jutting out of his head. Wasiolka was missing, but that was the least of Zazie's problems when the monster spread its wings. Instead of wings, what was on the back of the gaichuu were his parents' faces the size of gaichuu wings, skinny and sallow and just as dead as he remembered them to be. Their skin sagged from their cheekbones, and his mother's hair was fraying and grey. Their eye sockets were empty and void, and at that sight Zazie stopped in shock, a scream lodged deep in his throat. He shook in terror as metal plates began to snap onto his parents' faces, turning them into part of the gaichuu itself. Zazie fell to his knees, hands clenching the sand then racing to his ears as what seemed to be his parents turned to him jerkily and called out his name. What was supposed to be his mother then smiled kindly and called to him, her once-tender voice hardened and grated by the metallic screeching of the cruel bug, "Zazie, you're such a good child." It was then when Zazie's scream dislodged itself, and as he screamed he woke up, shivering and sweating, tears of fear pooling in his eyes.

Wasiolka came bounding in from another room and rested her head in his lap, mewling and purring like a kitten. Beside him, Thunderland was rudely awoken, and when he switched on his bedside light he saw Zazie hunched over, his shoulders shaking and his breath coming in sporadic bursts. "Zazie!" Thunderland exclaimed and sat forward. Zazie was clutching his chest and scratching at his throat, his eyes unfocused and his breathing erratic. Zazie's throat burned from the air he was taking in – it was too much in too little time, and his hands grasped the blanket. Thunderland swore, and seeing that there was not a single paper bag in the room that he could use, leant forward, cupped his hand over Zazie's mouth and wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders.

Thunderland smoothed the boy's tense shoulders with a thumb, and as Zazie squeezed his eyes shut, Thunderland spoke in his ear, his voice low and calm, "You're going to be fine. You're okay." And when Zazie choked and coughed, his breath hitching, Thunderland told him, "Take a breath. Here, count with me: One, two, three, four, five..." Eventually Zazie relaxed, and blinked back his tears as his hands moved from the bedsheets to Wasiolka's fur, and she looked up at him with deep blue eyes. Thunderland removed his hand from Zazie's mouth and asked, "Are you okay?" Zazie nodded, muttered his thanks and scooted back so that Wasiolka could clamber onto the bed and settle at his lap.

"Hey," Thunderland moved so that he was beside Zazie, and reached out to touch his arm. The boy flinched, startled, and glared at him, fierce eyes hiding thinly-veiled vulnerability.

"If it's nightmares, do you want to tell—"

"No," Zazie looked away instantly. Thunderland felt the slightest of irritations prick his skin, and asked again, "But it's really bad – you were hyperventilating! I can try to help—"

"No," Zazie insisted, his voice louder and hardened and his hands clutching in Wasiolka's fur. She seemed to have grown accustomed to this rough treatment of her fur, for she did not stir, and only pushed herself towards the boy in an attempt to comfort him.

Thunderland felt a surge of annoyance. He really shouldn't, since, after all, he wasn't the one who just hyperventilated, but Zazie's blind dauntlessness was getting on his nerves. Thunderland longed to reach out to him, to take away the hurt that haunted him in the depths of sleep, but the one who was hurting wasn't making it any easier for him. "Fine then," Thunderland said. "I can't sleep, so I'll just go get some extra work done."

"No!" Zazie exclaimed and lunged out to grab Thunderland's arm, surprising himself with the force of his words and his desperation. Up until then, what his hands sought in such situations was the comfort of Wasiolka's fur. It calmed him, and her scent was, in a way, relaxing and comforting to him. But just then...

Zazie's grip loosened from Thunderland's arm, and Zazie slunk back to his original position. Thunderland, even more annoyed (though he wasn't sure what _this_ annoyance was directed at), got back into the bed and took Zazie into his arms, cradling the boy's slightly shivering form. He shielded his face, resting it against Thunderland's shoulder, but his hands grabbed at the older man's arms for support. Thunderland stared down at the slightly shaking boy; so broken he could not even cry, and drew up a hand to caress his hair. "I am going to help you, whether you like it or not," Thunderland declared and Zazie did not reply, but only lightly thumped his head against Thunderland's shoulder in what the older man hoped was a nod.

Later as they slept Wasiolka lay across their knees, and the next day Thunderland traded a box of assorted laboratory equipment for a box of Mana's special Helenseed. The morning after that, Zazie casually but gratefully remarked that he had never slept that well before, and his eyes met Thunderland's in a way that suggested he knew more than he let on.

* * *

**Have any of you experienced such night terrors before? I, thankfully, haven't. (Which may or may not affect the accuracy of this piece but w/e)**


	28. Eight a Day

**Original prompt: Doing Something Sweet****This prompt is like an open invitation to write disgustingly sappy fluff. Hold on to your seats, and feel free to close this page at any time if I get too disgustingly sappy. (Which I will. Eehehe~)**

**Bree: Thanks! It's good that I hit the mark, ahaha…**

**Edit (14/6/13): I changed some parts of the earlier chapter. It's nothing major; just some re-phrasing problems I came across when I was re-reading it. So go ahead and read it again, I suppose, if you want to see the "new and improved" (not really) version ww**

* * *

Eight a Day

"Doctor," Mana Jones greeted Thunderland as soon as she caught a whiff of his coat, stopping him in the middle of the corridors. "Did you know that the average person needs about eight positive touches a day to maintain physical and emotional health?"

For a minute Thunderland wondered why, out of all things, she had to tell him that particular piece of useless information. He could easily run some tests, and see if that was true or not. What was the point in her asking anyway—

"I bet you don't get eight a day, hmm? That's why you're so bitter all the time," Mana sniggered, and then smiled, showing that her snide attitude was all just for show.

Was that a challenge? That sounded like a challenge.

"Don't you have a beauty parlour to run, Mana Jones?" Thunderland asked, straight-faced, before brushing past her and walking down the corridor, smiling to himself as he heard her shout from behind, "It's not a beauty parlour! It's a relaxation lounge!"

Later when Zazie entered in his laboratory, wielding a red package containing a mouse figurine, Thunderland casually draped an arm over the back rest of his seat and told Zazie, "Did you know it takes eight positive touches a day to maintain physical and emotional health?"

"What the hell? That's so random. Here, mouse model," Zazie replied, handing him the red box.

"Thanks," Thunderland's left hand reached for the box but pulled Zazie forward by the wrist instead, so that he was bending over, and used his right hand to ruffle the boy's hair. "One," Thunderland smiled, and his left hand slid down Zazie's wrist, taking the box and setting it down on the counter in one fluid motion.

"Wha— okay, you know what? Nevermind," Zazie was already backing out the door. "I have more of those bloody reports to file in. I might be leaving later than you, by the way. Around 21." Thunderland replied with a nod and a comment that he might actually be leaving earlier than usual, and turned back to his study.

About a quarter after the 21st bell, there was the sound of a key turning in the latch of the door, and Thunderland practically jumped out of his seat on the couch and ran to the door, pulling it open and pulling Zazie into a hug. "Two. And welcome home." Thunderland released Zazie and stuck out a foot to shut the door as Zazie ran to the sofa and buried his face in the cushions with Wasiolka nosing his side. Thunderland locked the door and walked back to the sofa, crossing his arms and resting them on the back rest. "You ate?" He asked.

"Mmmmf," came the reply. "Grabbed a sandwich. You?"

"Made curry. You want to try?"

"Hell no," Zazie muttered begrudgingly, but got up and made his way to the dinner table anyway. Thunderland got there before him, and had already scooped out a spoon of his curry. Zazie eyed it apprehensively; the spicy, nose-tickling, orange _thing_ was not to be trusted.

"...Alright, alright, gimme it," Zazie reached out for the spoon, but was stopped by Thunderland.

"Open up," Thunderland held out the spoon towards Zazie's mouth.

"I'm not a baby, just let me do it myself!" Zazie reached for the spoon but Thunderland swatted his hand away.

"I think you're taking this 'eight a day' thing too seriously."

"I'm doing it for your and my benefit."

"Goddamn it... Okay, fine. Since you're not gonna let me do it myself anyway," Zazie clicked his tongue, closed his eyes, and opened his mouth. Thunderland tipped the spoon slowly, and Zazie made a face, as the spiciness went to his ears. He felt as if hot air was escaping through them, and he stuck his tongue out, panting and hoping the taste would go away, but to no avail.

"Three," Thunderland counted, though a bit worried by Zazie's reaction. "How's it?"

"Too spicy for me, but at least I'm not dead."

"Fantastic. My ploy failed." Thunderland laughed softly, and Zazie punched his shoulder and grinned. "Four."

"That doesn't count. You punched me – that is not loving."

"It was _positive_ touching, not loving touching. And that's my form of positivity. Now go away and let me bathe."

Thunderland made a horrible attempt at puppy-dog eyes and Zazie snorted, and then left Thunderland to clean up.

After Thunderland himself had bathed and put on a pair of baggy knee-length shorts, he opened the door only to find Zazie crossing the hallway, dragging Wasiolka behind him. The boy paused, and after deciding that it was too challenging for him to look at Thunderland's wet hair and shoulders and hands...

Zazie looked away and muttered, "I-I'm just gonna go brush Wasiolka's fur, okay."

Thunderland just removed the damp towel from around his shoulders and slung it around Zazie's own, pulling him into yet another hug. Zazie barely heard the man say, "Five," as he silently prayed that nothing was happening downstairs, and silently took note that Thunderland's skin was damp and warm and flushed and smelt a lot like body wash. The man then released him and lightly pinched his nose, and murmured, "Six." It was then when Zazie released his grip on Wasiolka slightly, and the midnight-blue panther shot out from under his hand and raced to the living room. Thunderland heard a cup break and grimaced.

"Shit! She's gone! Aaaaah, do you know how long it takes for me to get her to even let me bring the damn brush close to her? Now I have to go catch her all over again!" Zazie fumed, and without a second glance at the Doctor, bolted after Wasiolka, yelling, "Get back here, you stupid cat!"

Finally the both of them decided to turn in for the night, and Zazie tumbled into bed, wincing from having endured light scratches on his arm from Wasiolka's struggles. Thunderland asked if he had washed them clean already, and Zazie said that he had. Thunderland inspected Zazie's arm, as if checking it for infections, then sneakily stuck out his tongue and ran it along the scratched skin. Zazie screeched at the wet sensation, snatched his arm back and shouted, red-faced, "What the hell is wrong with you, you sick fuck?!"

Thunderland only looked at him mock-forlornly. "I thought you liked those sorts of—"

"No! I wasn't even ready! I had no idea you were going to go ahead and lick my arm like – like Niche does to Lag! And I swear, if this is one of your dumbass eight—"

"Seven."

"YOU—!" Zazie seethed, face growing redder and heart pounding faster, and he clutched his offended arm even tighter to his chest. Thunderland, seeing as he had the upper hand, scooted closer to Zazie, and planted a firm kiss on his lips. Zazie tugged on Thunderland's hair as his finger traced an '8' on the back of Zazie's neck, and Thunderland made the mistake of smirking. Seconds later his head was being slammed into the pillows by Zazie, who kept his grip on Thunderland's hair. Zazie eventually released his hold on Thunderland's abused head, and wiped his mouth free of saliva as he snarled, "Now go the fuck to sleep!"

* * *

**Mana and Thunderland are sassfriends. That's really all I have to say. (And that I really like the word "sassfriends".)**


	29. Getting Married

**So because I am almost reaching the end I did an editing spree and fixed inconsistencies/spelling and grammar mistakes/etc in all the earlier chapters. I also really feel like stabbing myself with a fork rn bc looking at my old stuff is always painful for me ack. ****Anyhow, here's the next one~! I was laughing a lot while writing it. I don't know why, but I think I might have been both embarrassed and tickled by what I wrote. I was p out of it then, if I remember.**

**Bree: adulsafyaflafsafd thanks!**

* * *

Getting married

Thunderland heaved a sigh as he stared at himself in the mirror of a small dressing room. He was dressed in a black suit, one that he had never before thought he would be getting, with a few white flowers gathered and placed in his breast pocket. He still couldn't believe that the proposal to Zazie had gone through – they had been together for years now, and he had grown into a fairly handsome young man, although he was still considered short, and he grew to about a head shorter than Thunderland himself. The older man wondered how he would look in the white suit they had bought together. He smiled to himself, ears turning red as he remembered suggesting to Zazie that he should wear a dress - "To keep the tradition!" - And the younger man had protested – "Like hell! I'm not a girl!" – And had settled on a white suit instead. Thunderland had called on Hunt, his lab assistant, to be his best man, and he had graciously accepted the offer.

"You have five minutes," said best man poked his head into the dressing room. Thunderland turned and smiled, nervousness wracking him in spite of his overwhelming happiness, and Hunt stepped in, and patted the man on the shoulder, his beast arms weighing considerably. "You'll do fine. Also, according to Lag, your 'bride' is looking pretty good." He managed to say all that with a straight face, but Thunderland could tell from the tone of his voice that he felt like smiling. Thunderland thanked him, but he could not stop his mind from coming up with all possible ways of this "marriage" thing ending badly – what if he forgot what he was supposed to say? What if Zazie changed his mind at the last moment?

"Looks like it's your turn, Doctor." Hunt joked and led Thunderland down the aisle, passing by pews as they made their way to the altar. Hunt whispered a word of encouragement and left him there, staring at the altar and being quite puzzled as to why Niche was taking the place of the priest. Lag stood nearby her, and he explained, "She has a degree for these things, y'know? I'm only here to help her." Thunderland shrugged, and watched as Jacob Gobani led a nervous-looking Zazie down the aisle. Zazie caught the Doctor's eye and grinned sheepishly.

When they got beside Thunderland, Jacob gave him a wink, and whispered, "Keep an eye on him!" He left, and Thunderland, ecstatic, smiled at Zazie, happiness washing away any traces of worry. Zazie looked at the floor through a smile, and entwined his fingers in Thunderland's. Niche cleared her throat and spoke, Lag occasionally whispering to her, correcting her words.

"Niche – I mean we – are here today to conjoin – I mean join – these two together as man and also man in holy matrominny. Will these two change rings please?" They did as she said, and Niche continued while Lag had given up on correcting her, and leaned back, resting his head on his palm. "Will old man promise to keep young man company in sickness and in health and in joy and in sorrow and be his dingo until death do you part?" Thunderland wondered if that was how it went, but his mouth moved on its own accord, and he answered, "I do."

Niche asked the same of the "young man", and Zazie opened his mouth to answer, but his voice was drowned out by a peculiar buzzing noise. The scene before Thunderland tore away like singed paper, and the Doctor found himself back in reality, his alarm clock droning and rattling beside him.

It was just a dream, then?

Thunderland breathed out and switched off the alarm, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before putting on his eyepatch. He looked down at the boy beside him, who was, thankfully, back to being fifteen. Thunderland breathed a sigh of relief, but found himself wishing that that dream was true (though definitely not the part where Niche was a priest), and he smiled wistfully as Zazie clung to him, clearly awake but refusing to get up.

_Someday_, he told himself. _Someday, I will make it happen._

* * *

**I'm laighing whlie rerwading thsi and id ont know why? Send help omg (suddenly I am v embarrassed urgh what is with these feelings)**


	30. Birthday

**Bree: I don't even know how to reply to that I'm so ashamed and happy and aaaahh**

**Zelda: Alright, thanks a lot! I think Aaron is a v fitting name for him, heh.**

**This is a collection of weird things they do for each other's birthdays. I hope you all aren't turned off by aging together-fics. Wasiolka gets a part in this too, because she deserves it!**

* * *

_Thunderland: 26__  
_  
Zazie burst through the doors of the laboratory, whooping and cheering a little too loudly, and set down a cake box on the counter where Thunderland was working. The older man hushed him, and gruffly told him to go away. Zazie did not listen, and instead, busied himself by play-wrestling with Wasiolka until Thunderland shouted at them both. Sighing exasperatedly, Thunderland ran a hand through his hair then glowered at Zazie half-heartedly. Zazie nudged his shoulder, and opened the box, grinning. Inside sat a vanilla sponge cake with pink icing, and Zazie was about to stick the candles into the cake when Thunderland protested loudly, saying that the smoke and wax from the candles and the cake itself would get germs over everything, and after a mini-scuffle Thunderland, fully armed with a scalpel, re-boxed the cake with grim finality, shoved it into Zazie's arms and told him to get out or get cut up. Needless to say Zazie was seen seconds later, racing down the hall with a cake box in hand, trying to run as far as he could from the grasp of Hell's Kitchen.

* * *

_Zazie: 21__  
_  
Zazie had already celebrated with Lag and Connor over dinner, and they had given him things they thought he would find useful; a pen, a holster for his shindanjuu – all of which, oddly enough, were able to be cat-related. By the time he reached home (around the 23rd bell) he had been stuffed to bursting point with good food, bubbling drink and merry laughter. When he got to the door and opened it Thunderland surprise-kissed him roughly at the door and pulled him inside, then kicked the door shut with a loud thud. It wasn't long before Thunderland led the younger man upstairs amidst heated words and teasing kisses and feathery touches, and it soon became very apparent that what Thunderland was giving Zazie for his birthday was himself.

* * *

_Wasiolka: 13 (this is quite long)__  
_  
Wasiolka's mouth stretched wide in a toothless yawn as she stirred from her sleeping position on the sofa. Her eyes opened slowly; they were still blue, but had clouded and faded a bit around the edges with age. Her fur, although taking on a greyish tinge, was still as sleek as ever. She stretched stiffly, blunt claws unsheathing from her paws and clawing at the cotton material of the sofa. Her master should be back soon, she guessed, along with that strange man. At that thought she got off the sofa and slunk onto the carpeted floor, where an assortment of inane kitten toys lay. Wasiolka snorted at them – she was far too dignified to toy with such... Toys. Even so, it got boring and a bit lonely whenever her master and that strange man left. She used to go along with them too, until her master decided she was too old for those sorts of "dangerous" things. She didn't quite understand it, but she remembered his concerned voice and how she trusted him all the same, hoping it was for the best. But even so...

It was at that thought when the door opened and Wasiolka's ears pricked in joy. _He's home!_ Her eyes widened and she trotted over to the black-haired male, rubbing herself against his trousers and walking between his legs until he knelt down and scratched her behind the ears. He had changed over the years; he had become stronger, faster, and the bones on his jaw stuck out more, but his eyes still reminded her of the little boy she used to play with all the time. Her master then said to her, "It's your birthday! Happy birthday, Wasiolka!"

_Birthday?_ Wasiolka tilted her head. _What's that?_ But then the sound and smell of frying fish carried itself through the air from the 'cooking place' and Wasiolka whipped her head to see what was happening. Her master stroked her head and told her the fish was hers, and Wasiolka couldn't have been happier at that moment, even though it was the other man who was cooking it, and not her master.

Later, after she had finished the fish and the other two males had finished their own food her master proclaimed in a loud voice about how proud he was of her. "I took her to a vet one time, and he said that panthers like her usually live until about 12 years old. But she's still alive even now, see?" Wasiolka growled indignantly. _Don't underestimate me yet – I'm still going strong!_ Her master laughed and leant over, scratching behind her ears and mane, making her shut her eyes and purr in delight. It was an old, coarse, rumbling sort of purr – much like that of a rickety old engine. It was nothing like the purr of a young cub, and her master's laugh was nothing like the laughter of a child, but for a moment the both of them were lost in their own world; the memories of protecting each other and killing gaichuu and hours spent playing in grassy fields still fresh in their minds. _If this is a birthday_, Wasiolka mewled, _then I want every day to be my birthday._ And as if granting that wish, her master laughed some more and pulled her up into a warm embrace.

* * *

_Thunderland: 39 (This is a slightly longer one as well)_

It was by sheer luck that Thunderland's birthday fell on a day where the both of them had taken their assigned leave, and so Zazie had suggested that since that occurrence never happened often, they should celebrate the birthday especially well (since he tended to miss a few due to deliveries). There was a field not far from Yuusari Central, he had said. It was a choice pit stop for him whenever he was on deliveries around Yuusari, even back when Wasiolka was still with him, for there were no gaichuu territories nearby and it was dark enough to see the stars clearly. It was relatively easy to get to, he had said. No problem at all, he had said.

_Screw that,_ Thunderland thought resentfully as he panted heavily, trying to stumble up a steep hill to the field. Already they had been attacked by two rock snakes, and Thunderland was sure he had mud in his left shoe and a pebble in the other. His knees ached (he wasn't as young as before) and he was just about half-dead. Zazie was ahead, waving at him from where he was. _I'm going to cut him up_, Thunderland swore.

Eventually he reached the top of the hill where the small field was. After mercilessly shouting at Zazie for a whole five minutes and using the next ten to aggressively clean out his shoes, Thunderland and Zazie were lying down and gazing at the stars above. Thunderland mapped out veins of silver constellations on a velvet sea of midnight blue while Zazie talked too much, but eventually they both settled down and felt dwarfed by the cosmos. Thunderland could've sworn that he felt gold dust in the grass around them, and that the sound of their silent breathing was anything but silent. It was alive, he thought. _Warm._

Thunderland must have had fallen asleep, for when he woke there were flower circlets in his hair and petals in his hands. Zazie was kneeling beside him, his arms full of wild flowers, and he smirked at having been discovered. He bent so that his lips brushed against the tip of Thunderland's ear, the bundle of flowers pressed against Thunderland's side, and whispered to him a secret that only the two of them knew.

* * *

_Zazie: 48_

Despite his age Zazie still acted like a child around Thunderland – still running around, but with more caution; still speaking what he thought, but with more discretion; and still having an affinity for cats, but only slightly more muted. For his birthday Zazie challenged Thunderland to a challenge of strength - it was simple, they would link arms and try to pull the other onto their backs. Thunderland was reluctant, but agreed to it eventually. After much struggling Zazie won and Thunderland laughed at the situation until his laughing gave way to a furious coughing fit which made his hands grip the table edge tightly and turned his voice hoarse. That, together with the way Thunderland's skin hung loosely on the bones of his hands instantly made Zazie realise that age and time had slowly, but surely crept up to them both. Zazie wondered, then, how much longer it would take before the both of them turned to dust and crumbled back to the very earth they stood on. Thunderland must have realised it, too, for he grew silent at that thought. He still smiled anyway, with lines that promised years of wisdom creasing almost sorrowfully at the edges of his eyes.

* * *

_Thunderland: 71_

The skies were bleak and the wind was colder than ever. The Artificial Sun shone, an ever-present menace among the stars in the dark blue sky, but Zazie was not troubled by all this as he made his way up a hill to the celebratory venue for Thunderland's birthday. When he got there a wistful smile was on his features, and he whispered something about how he and Thunderland were proper old farts then, but he kept his hands to himself throughout the time he was there. Zazie sat silently, a black woolen coat shielding him against the cold wind as he looked towards the Sun, thinking about how nice it would be for him to feel Thunderland's hands take his again. Time passed although the Sun did not set, and Zazie eventually stood stiffly, deciding to leave, but not before leaving behind a small wooden memorial and fresh flowers on the ground near Thunderland's headstone. "Happy birthday, Doctor," Zazie spoke, his smile soft and his voice even softer, "You old fart."

* * *

**Zazie is a childish guy. Also, AGGRESSIVE CLEANING! (Warning: super long and messy A/N below)**

**Zelda has pointed out that Thunderland's first name is probably Aaron, and I've also recently found out that **_**Winters**_** is legitimately Zazie's canonical surname. I won't be editing the previous chapters, though, considering the fact that this **_**is**_** the last chapter (actually it's just bc I am a lazy shit sorry). Just take note that both names I've used so far are most likely incorrect****.**

**Anyhow, I've had a whale of a time writing this, and I really really want to thank all of you who read it along with those who favourited/followed/reviewed, esp those wonderful guys out there who helped me with names and the like! I'm actually pretty out of tune with both the anime and manga series, so what I have in here is mostly information I remembered from years ago. So yeah, I really appreciate your help with the names! Thank you! The feedback I've gotten was also a huge help, and all your comments have made me laugh and blush more often than not. You're all great – really. :')**

**The funny thing is, this ship originally started as a crackship – something I would laugh over whenever I felt like it. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but see where that led me? Now it's like, one of my biggest ships of all time. I'm not even joking ok I really like this pairing (((I need to stop getting so involved in things like these ugh))))**

**But speaking of this pairing (what am I talking about this entire bloody fic is based on it), hopefully I've influenced you to ship it in some way, even if it's just for a second. Heueheueheue (・∀・)**

**I'll probably be writing more TB stuff sometime; I'm still working very very slowly on someone's request, so I guess if you want to read more of what I write keep an eye out...? Or don't, because I'll probably slide into some form of super-inactivity after everything is done hahaha.**

**Yup, that's it from me! Thanks again, for everything! ヾ(*´∀｀*)ﾉ**


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